Veterans gather to mark 60 years since the Battle of Long Tan

Vietnam War veteran Graeme Davis struggles to find the words to talk about what he went through during the conflict.

"It's almost impossible to describe unless you have been in battle," Mr Davis said.

"Unless you've actually looked down the barrel of a weapon ... and having to make a moral and ethical decision whether to pull the trigger."

Mr Davis said despite Australia's ultimate victory at the Battle of Long Tan, it was overall a long conflict that saw the Australians mostly overpowered by their enemy.

And there was a moment on the afternoon of August 18 when he believed they would not survive at Long Tan either.

"Virtually we had less than probably 60 rounds of ammunition between us, we had less than 60 soldiers still alive or wounded, that were able to continue to protect and fight the battle," he said.

"And we virtually thought 'within the next 60 minutes, it will be all over for us, we won't be here'."

He said it was in that moment that the "reality" of the war came home to him.

"That we were totally outnumbered ... we never had the resources or the people to defend ourselves, or even at that stage do a tactical withdrawal," he said.

A significant day

Fought in a rubber plantation called Long Tan, the battle was one of the most significant engagements involving Australians during the war.

The first Australian soldiers of the Royal Australian Regiment's D Company had arrived in south Vietnam in May of 1966, and within two months, some of them were at Long Tan.

The villagers of Long Tan and Long Phuoc had been relocated by the Australians to secure a new base, prompting Vietnamese troops to attack in a bid to recover them.

The Australians were joined by New Zealand's 161 Field Battery and soldiers from the US in what would become a victory over the Vietnamese.

As a result of the battle, 18 Australians were killed and 24 wounded.

By the time it was over on the evening of August 18, the North Vietnamese suffered hundreds of casualties.

Remembering the fallen

Today, 60 years on, veterans and their families laid wreaths to honour those who died in the conflict at the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra.

Governor-General Samantha Mostyn, Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh and Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson were among those who attended the ceremony.

The anniversary coincides with Vietnam Veterans' Day, something that is meaningful for many who fought in the conflict.

ACT Vietnam Veterans Federation president Ward Gainey said the ceremony was a chance to commemorate those who served in the war, and their families.

"We take this opportunity to remember, to understand the families who are involved, those who returned and are still trying to live with their memories and making sure we support them as they grow older,"

he said.

Mr Gainey said the day was a reminder that serving in the defence force was not just "putting on your suit and going to work".

"It's important, I think, that we don't forget what people do," he said.

"These are hardships … we go away, and we know that we're going to a place that is dangerous.

"But another time, during peacetime, we are still there to be a part of the nation that we love and the nation we have to protect, and we are honoured to do so."

Keeping the stories alive

Reverend Mick O'Donnell, who served in the navy in Vietnam, read the prayer for peace at the memorial.

He said it was vital veterans' stories continued to be told.

"I think of the collegiality, getting together with the colleagues and remembering stories and remembering the days when we were all together and doing various things, but also just to recognise that we're getting older," he said.

"It's good to keep the memory alive, I think. I love the stories."

Reverend O'Donnell said he hoped the leaders present remembered the importance of peace and love, as conflicts continue around the world.

"They are in the position where they are making decisions for our involvement in conflicts in the future," he said.

"I hope today that ... they might stop and think about love instead of war."

'Never been fully accepted'

To this day, some of those who served in Vietnam still feel the sting of what they perceived as the Australian public ignoring or not recognising their sacrifice and service.

"It was something outside our control and the public were demonstrating against the government of the day and the action of the day, and taking it out on the veterans rather than saying, 'You weren't responsible, you were doing what your nation asked you to do'," Mr Davis said.

He said the Battle of Long Tan was equal to any other major military engagement in Australia's wartime history.

"I think anyone who has studied military history or read military history, you would have been familiar that there's probably been more accounts of Long Tan written equal to the landing at Gallipoli,"

he said.