General News
16 May, 2025
Veterans reflect 50 years on
Local RSL members reflected on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, reminding the Australian Vietnamese community of a simple message — they’re not alone.
Two weeks on from the 50th anniversary, Maryborough RSL sub branch president Roy ‘Shady’ Lane joined president of the Vietnam Veterans Association Lee Turton to reflect on their mixed feelings of the war.
While both men served in the Vietnam War, Mr Lane reflected on the experiences of the Vietnamese community.
“To me it’s a sad day because I got to know the Vietnamese people really well,” he said.
From their contributions to war memorials to saving the Footscray RSL from closure, Mr Lane said locals should consider the Vietnamese community’s contributions as they commemorate the war.
“They come out here with nothing, virtually with the shirt on their back,” he said.
“It’s a credit to their culture and heritage the way they’ve picked themselves up and really done well.”
The Vietnam War brings up complicated emotions for Mr Turton, but his interactions with the Vietnamese community during the war left a strong impression.
“They were a phenomenal people,” he said.
In the wake of the Vietnam War’s complex legacy, the pair turned their minds to those who served lost their lives, and the contributions of Australia’s multicultural community in the decades since.