Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

Long Tan remembered
Volume 11, No. 49, August 10, 2006 By Lt Cameron Jamieson

Bravery: A Delta Coy digger drags a wounded mate back to the company position.
Photos provided by Launch Management Group.

Commemorative activities

6RAR: A United Drumhead Service will be held on August 18 at 3.45pm at the Duncan Ovals, Long Tan Lines, Enoggera, followed by a concert led by the Aust Army Band - Brisbane at 6pm. Inquiries to the 6RAR Adjt on (07) 3332 7311.
AWM/Dept Veterans Affairs: A range of ceremonies and events to mark the 40th anniversary of the battle and the national observance of Vietnam Veterans Day will be held at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) from August 17-20. Key events are the Long Tan anniversary “stand-to” ceremony on August 18 at 6.30am and a free concert on August 19 from 2-4pm featuring stars of the era who entertained the troops. For more information visit www.awm.gov.au/salutevietnam/index.asp or call the AWM on (02) 6243 4363.

FORTY years after their heroic stand against overwhelming odds the story of the diggers who fought at the Long Tan rubber plantation will be told in a new documentary.

The Battle of Long Tan, produced by Red Dune Films, uses re-enactment and interviews with survivors of the battle to capture the desperation and determination shown by both sides during the epic battle.

Logie Award-winning director Damien Lay said the documentary doesn’t play on the politics of the war. Instead, it focuses on the individuals and the parts they played in the heroic encounter.

“It’s been a very challenging project,” Lay said. “At first I thought Vietnam was a very difficult subject to document because there are still so many emotional opinions surrounding the war.

“But it’s an incredibly significant battle in Australian military history. It demonstrated the overwhelming capability of the Army working as a whole. Everybody did their job, and did it exceptionally well, which allowed the outcome of the battle to be decided in our favour.”

The documentary found its genesis in the 2004 book The Battle of Long Tan as told by the Commanders to Bob Grandin, and has evolved to include input from the commanders, the soldiers and the opposing Vietnamese troops.

Dave Sabben was the platoon commander of 12 Pl D Coy at the battle, and is pleased with how inclusive the documentary is. “I believe the production team interviewed about 35 people, whereas the book was put together by seven people,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful that many sides of the story are going to come to light, rather than just the decisions and actions of the commanders.”

The documentary is the second Australian military history story in two years for director Damien Lay, having directed last year’s He’s Coming South – The Attack on Sydney Harbour, which dealt with the WWII attack by Japanese midget submarines.

Lay has worked long hours to finish this latest project, but he said meeting the battle veterans made it all worthwhile.

“Talking to these men and sharing a part of their lives that was difficult for them to talk about and remember was amazing,” he said. “Some of the men cope better than others, but for all of them it’s a time and place they don’t like to go to.

“They are talking now to raise awareness of the event and perhaps to highlight the overall devastation of war itself. For me, to share in that small moment of those men’s lives was an overwhelming experience.”

The Battle of Long Tan airs on the History Channel on August 16 at 8.30pm with a repeat screening on August 18 at 10.30pm. 60 minutes will feature a preview of the production on August 13, and the 1993 documentary Long Tan – the true story will be screened by ABC TV on August 16 (DVD available at www.sirenvisual.com.au)