Bill Lake – Walkerston’s Vietnam Veteran

Walkerston’s Vietnam Veteran William Lake was, at lastweek’s local RSL meeting, presented with a commemoration medallion andcertificate marking the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvementin the Vietnam War.

Today, the 18th of August, is Vietnam Veterans'Remembrance Day. Also known as Long Tan Day, this day was marked by Vietnamveterans as a day to commemorate the fallen at the 1966 Battle of LongTan.  

Bill, as all nineteen-year-old Australian men back then -between 1965 and 1972, had to register for national service. Servicemenconscripted under this scheme were known as 'Nashos'. Names of potentialconscripts were selected bya birthday ballot, where numbered wooden marbles were drawn by lottery from abarrel.

The Menzies Government had concluded that Australia hadinadequate Defence manpower and aimed to increase the strength of the Army to33,000 by the end of 1966 by introducing national service.

There were many ‘conscientious objectors’ resistingmilitary service. These people were prosecuted criminally for refusal to complywith draft board orders.                                                          

The Australian Servicesinvolvement in the Vietnam War was at that time, quite a controversial subjectin Australia. For some veterans their service was never recognised as it shouldhave been. Upon returning home, there was no debriefing, it was ‘just go hometo your family and deal with life as best you can’.                    

Many soldiers who had servedin Vietnam never spoke about that time as they were treated quite badly, evensometimes mocked, mainly in the bigger cities of Australia. Fortunately, thiskind of abhorrent behaviour was not apparent in the much smallercommunities.                                                                            

Sadly, it was not until 15years after the end of the Vietnam war, in 1987, that Australian servicemen,and women, were duly recognised and given a Welcome Home parade where about25,000 veterans marched in Sydney.

The date of August 18 was recognised by Australian Vietnamveterans as a day to honour and acknowledge all those who served and died inVietnam. It was formally recognised as Vietnam Veterans' Day in 1987 with thethen Prime Minister Bob Hawke's announcement after the Welcome Home parade.

In 1992 a National Memorialfor the Vietnam War was established in Canberra.

Bill Lake’s birthdate waspicked out of the barrel when he was nineteen, but like so many otherconscripts, his joining the military services - training at Singleton,Canungra, and Shoal Water Bay, and then stationed at Lavarack Barracks inTownsville, before his battalion was sent to the Vietnam War - was postponed fora year until Bill had finished his apprenticeship in Walkerston.  

Bill has lived most of hislife in Walkerston; with only short periods residing in other parts of thecountry. He and his wife now live in the house right next to their first home -where they and their children lived for many years.

One could say that – in manyways – Bill’s uncharted circle of life has come back to where it began yearsago…and it is by no means finished yet!

Contributed by Bente McDonald

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