The legacy of the Vietnam War

On August 31, 2004, following a meeting with representatives from COVVHS the Federal Government announced that it would examine the feasibility of conducting a study of the health of the children of Vietnam veterans. It commenced in January 2005, and is now in its final weeks. COVVHS is hopeful a report will soon be presented to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, De-Anne Kelly.

The time is perfect for a comprehensive health study on the sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans and will identify areas of concern. A well-designed study can show exactly what their health status is and how this is impacting on their quality of life. Although the study would focus on the Vietnam experience, its findings would provide an insight into the children of all Australian service personnel who have served overseas.

Until the federal parliamentarians take this issue seriously, we will not attract support for this disadvantaged group of innocent people. But with help from ex-servicemen, their families and other interested parties there is a good chance of progressing the feasibility study into a full-scale health study of sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans.

All ex-servicemen and servicewomen from the Vietnam War, “put their life on the line” for both the Australian Government and its people. Now is the time for the government to show compassion It is something that has happened and cannot be undone and neither apologies nor money can change the fact young Australian men (many conscripted) were sent to Vietnam and their innocent children now suffer as a result. The impact on their children - with a maximum number of those possibly affected being 70,860 - is devastating.

In the prime minister’s speech on “Long Tan” Day 2005, he talked about the disgraceful treatment Vietnam veterans received when they came home from the war and how it should never happen again. Now the government can address this by fully supporting the study into the health issues facing many sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans.

It is worth mentioning that the government acknowledges war damages to combatants. There has been research done since the Crimean War on the after affects of war on returned service men and women. The damage that war does to people is often passed to their children and until now this has been suppressed. But now, the Vietnam veteran community is asking questions of the government: “Why is this happening and what can be done to stop this from continuing to happen in our younger veteran families”?