Monday was Vietnam Veterans’ Day and the 42nd anniversary of the battle of Long Tan.

Eden-Monaro Vietnam Veterans Association member Trevor Bennett explained the last time the Narooma Returned Services League (RSL) held a ceremony was back in the 1980s.

Mr Bennett said back then there was a march down the main street and even a Vietnam Veterans ball held at the Servos, but then the service was discontinued when the RSL in Batemans Bay and Moruya held their own services.

But this year the service in Narooma was revived and he was able to get the local schools involved, with school captains laying wreaths and raising flags.

“The schools were over the moon about getting involved and it was great to see everyone out there at the Cenotaph,” Mr Bennett said.

Another highlight of the day was the get-together afterwards down at the Narooma Bowling Club, where Dr Ken Doust spoke about his involvement in providing medical care to the people of Vietnam during the war.

Vietnam Veterans’ Day is commemorated on August 18 every year.

The day was originally known as Long Tan Day, to commemorate the men of D Company, 6RAR who fought in the battle of Long Tan in 1966.

On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought a pitched battle against up to 2,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops in a rubber plantation not far from the abandoned village of Long Tan.

The Australians prevailed, but only after fighting in torrential rain for four hours. They were nearly overrun, but were saved by a timely ammunition resupply, accurate artillery fire from the nearby Australian base, and the arrival of reinforcements by armoured personnel carrier.

Eighteen Australians lost their lives and 24 were wounded; the largest number of casualties in a single action in Vietnam.

After the battle the bodies of 245 enemy soldiers were found, but there was evidence that many more had been carried away.

The bravery, tenacity and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand soldiers at Long Tan became legendary. That single engagement on just one afternoon in August 1966 has come to symbolise Australia’s 10-year-long involvement in our nation’s longest war.