Issue 99 - Nasho Front Page

The Guard was commanded by Neil Freier with Nigel Sutton and Ron Ward providing the armed escort.
The National Servicemen’s Memorial Pipes and Drums played the music.
The first reading in the Service that followed was by John Smallwood, General Manager of Metroplex,
which has undertaken to move and develop the Heritage Precinct in a new setting in the centre of the
redevelopment of the former Wacol Army Camp.
The second reading was by National Serviceman, Allen
May (left) who was the forward scout for D Company, 6
Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment in the battle
of Long Tan on 18 August 1966. He was the first into the
battle and the last out when just over 100 Australians held
off an estimated two battalions of North Vietnamese
regulars and Viet Cong guerrillas. A total of 18
Australians were killed including 11 National
Servicemen.
The second reading was
by a French National
Serviceman, Louis
Sultan (right), who
served as a Lieutenant in
the French Marines. He
was awarded the Legion
of Honour for bravery in
the Algerian War and is
President of the French
Veterans’ Association of
Queensland.
The National President
of the Association, Earle
Jennings, (left) said
National Service was
neither about glory nor
boasting but about those
who had served
Australia honourably
and well when their
country required it.
He said it was fitting that this year would see the
National Service Memorial dedicated at the Australian
Memorial in Canberra to the 212 who died in Borneo and
Vietnam and the 287,000 who served.
Mr. Jennings said the Association advocated universal
National Service for all 20 years olds.
Once the front line and support units were filled, the
surplus would be available for a National Guard based on
the American one incorporating a Coast Guard, specialist
medical, engineering and other units and a service corps
for conscientious objectors.
PAGE 7