Hank Kreemers would be happy if no-one ever fired another shot in anger or in war.
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He would be just as happy to see National Service re-instated in Australia.
The Vietnam veteran believes the respect and discipline mandatory military service teaches would benefit today’s youth – but none of them should ever be shipped overseas again to fight the political enemy of the day.
Pulled from a well-paying job with Western Mining Corporation near his hometown of Clunes, Hank was one of 19,000 young Australian men conscripted to fight in Vietnam.
He still has a copy of the letter from the Department of Labour and Industry that saw him arrive at Nui Dat as a 19-year-old – and come home with memories he rarely mentions, never wants to talk about and prefers to keep to himself.
Instead, he chooses to focus on the doctors and nurses who saved lives during the conflict and the fellow soldiers who quickly became mates.
While looking through a photo album of his time in Vietnam, Hank is quick to flick past the images that bring back the more painful memories.
A picture of thick forest denuded by Agent Orange was met with a sad shake of the head and a swift tap of the keyboard to move to the next image.
But Hank likes to linger on pictures of the people he served with and is happy to tell stories about the characters he met and what they did while on base.
“Whatever happens in war is never nice to speak about. We did what we did because the Australian Government believed Communism was a problem in Vietnam,” Hank said.
“But we didn’t give a rats about the politics of it. You’re not thinking about that when you’re doing your job. You’re focused on the bloke next to you and making sure he comes back to base in one piece.
“No-one cared if you were National Service or something else, because we stuck together as mates.
“Focusing on the mateship and looking out for each other is how I got through it then, and it’s what keeps me going now.
“Vietnam Veterans Day brings up a lot of painful memories, but we all choose to see it as a day to remember our mates and honour those who didn’t make it back.”
Sitting in the Seymour RSL hall on Vietnam Veterans Day this year, Hank was pleasantly surprised by a speech given by Australian Governor-General David Hurley.
The message thanking them for their service was in stark contrast to what he and other soldiers experienced on their return to Australia. For Hank, that meant landing after dark in Sydney and being ordered not to wear any uniform to avoid drawing attention.
“That’s still hard to stomach. Don’t wear the uniform that says you served your country. That was our welcome home,” Hank said.
“Despite us having nothing to do with the decision making, it was the soldier in the green uniform who got the blame for that war.
“We’re the ones who got tomatoes thrown at us and were called baby-killers. We risked our lives for our country and the country turned its back on us.
“I’m happy to see more support for veterans these days because it wasn’t there for us. There were a lot of people who, to put it lightly, had a rough time when they returned.
“Despite everything going on in Afghanistan, I hope the men and women who served over there are treated with the honour and respect they deserve.
“Hopefully the government and public have learnt and have a different attitude to how they treated us.”
While he doesn’t want anyone to experience the horrors of war like he did, Hank believes National Service benefitted him and could help others.
“The damaging part was going overseas to be involved in the conflict. We should have been able to opt out without the shame and stigma,” Hank said.
“My experience would have almost been positive if I’d been able to do my service here in Australia and not go through what I did in Vietnam.
“I think it’s good for young men and women to learn the discipline and respect national service teaches you, and it gives an appreciation for what the military do.
“If we had a system where you spend some time in a national guard and only go overseas if you volunteer, I think that would be beneficial to the young people of today.
“But shipping a man to a foreign land to fight someone else’s war is something that should never be repeated.”
Journalist