August 18 is Vietnam Veterans Day, a chance to pause and honour the 60,000 Australians involved in the Vietnam War, the 3000 wounded in battle and 521 Diggers who were tragically killed.

The war was Australia’s longest military engagement of the 20th century, beginning in 1962 and the withdrawal starting in 1971.

The Battle of Long Tan on August 18, 1966, took place in a rubber plantation near in the Phước Tuy Province, South Vietnam, between the Viet Cong and People’s Army of Vietnam units and elements of the 1st Australian Task Force.

6PR Breakfast host Gareth Parker spoke to musician and Vietnam veteran Normie Rowe (above) about how the war 60 years ago changed his life, as well as entertainer Denise Drysdale, who flew to Vietnam during the war to keep the spirit up of the Aussie troops.

“I guess sliding doors – the upside is I’ve got mates that I don’t think I would ever have had, people that I know I can trust my life to, but on the other hand I had a career that was starting to burgeon in the UK and internationally, and so I lost that.

“So you know, upside and downside, but that’s life.”

LISTEN 👇to their chat about the history and impact of the war with Gareth Parker