40th ANNIVERSARY BATTLE of LONG TAN
18 AUGUST 2006

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Adrian Cronauer
- 42 RQR - Trevor Hewitt - Rev Alan Brown - Graham & Lester - Food for the day - Photos - New Plaques
   
Under the banner of "Saluting their Service" the Government made sure that all Vietnam Veterans would enjoy the day on the 18th August 2006. On behalf of Cockscomb Veterans Camp we would like to thank the Vietnam Veterans Federation for lodging an application and being our sponsor for a DVA Grant. The Grant considerably assisted on the day with bus services, generator, cold room, catering equipment, food and beverages and the preparation, the band and the one off free cap issued to all Veterans attending
 
The logistics of the day were born by a small team of Cockscomb Veterans who worked very hard for a number of months. Work was completed on the Caretakers Residence and all gardens were topdressed with mulch. The main driveway undertook major reconstruction and with a load of road base and the Livingstone Shire Council roller has been transformed. A coat of green paint to all flat surfaces and upright poles has brightened up the appearances. Leaves and rubbish was removed and burnt. Some stumps have been removed and areas flattened for caravan parking. A washup sink and BBQ table has been set up in the lower parking area
 
   

Knowing full well that the attendance this year would be much bigger that past years, catering was a guess, but it worked out in the end and this year we hired helping hands from the Keppel Sand Hotel Thanks to Nellie, Karen and Liz

FOOD FOR THE DAY
350 burgers, 250sausages, lettice, tomatoe and onion and bread buns, 100 jam drops, 3 full trays of apple slice & 12 litres of custard, 200 tea bags
Then for the evening meal 4 large lamb roasts cooked on the spit with baked pototoes

   
 
         
Goooooooooooooooood morning Vietnam...
Adrian Cronauer
the original Americam Forces Vietnam radio disk jockey visited Cockscomb on the 15th August. Thanks to our Governments Saluting Their Service Grants – “Grants for activities to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan” and Brett Bullians QLD VVAA and Mal Wheat Qld VVF for applying for funds to tour Adrian through Queensland Vietnam Veterans centres. While visiting Cockscomb, Allan Evans presented Adrian with one of Bruce Wightmans’ original water colour paintings of the campsite in progress.
Many Veterans had heard the Goooood Morning Vietnam call, but Adrian said that disk jockeys that took over from him carried on the tradition until the end of the war.


     
    Adrian Cronauer was welcomed at a morning tea at Cockscomb Veterans’ Camp. Allan Evans Presents Adrian with an original Wightmans water colour
 
         
         
       

Yeppoon War Widows & Legacy Ladies
   
Rockhampton War Widows & Legacy Ladies
 

A great band


     
     
     
The can crushers were busy with over 1200 cans to crush
    Peter Grob and Jeff Clark  

Jeff Morris (St John Ambulance) & Dan Connolly
     
     
             
   

3 new names were added to our memorial and after the day another was identified. For more names on the memorial click here

Richard Stokes 1200468 102 FIELD WKSP RAEME

William Eade 52772 AATTV

Robert Francis 19622 9 SQN RAAF

 

 
    Trevor Hewitt ex 1RAR 1965 & 3 RAR 1967 - 68 addressed the gathered Veterans and families and spoke about 6 RAR D Company and the way Company Commander Harry Smith carried out duties on the day in Vietnam
 
Reverend Alan Brown from the School Chaplincy program
Prayers – Serving members of Australian Armed Services in all parts of the world overseas and in all conflicts, for our fallen and lost comrades and those attending here today Alan also dedicated our new plaques
     
   
Graham Ivers from the Salvation Army played the Last Post and Rouse and Lester Soblusky played the pipes
   
Thanks to our local 42rnd RQR for providing the guard
 
     
Pat Wilson & Graham Hill
   
Helen
Margie
Kris
 
     
Graham Jensen & Tony Dawes
    Mick Cook (yellow shirt)  
     
     
Jenny Ireland
War Widows
Allan Evans
Olwyn Cordell
Legacy Ladies
 
     
Peter Sarina
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Gene Owens & Allan Evans