More on Hill 82

In November I posted a piece on two of my friends from pre-Vietnam Army days who died in Vietnam and still lie there. The post noted how a Jim Burke had located the scene of the contact and was looking for support to close the search and bring the boys home.

Jim’s plea for help had borne fruit with the Government coming to the party.

The Australian Government has approved a grant of $37,500 for Operation Aussies Home to search for likely burial sites of two Australian soldiers killed in action during the Vietnam War, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Bruce Billson, said today.

The full notice from Defence Media is over the page

ARMY SUPPORT TO OPERATION AUSSIES HOME

The Australian Government has approved a grant of $37,500 for Operation Aussies Home to search for likely burial sites of two Australian soldiers killed in action during the Vietnam War, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Bruce Billson, said today.

“The soldiers, Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson, were killed during fighting between A Company from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) and Vietcong forces in Bien Hoa province in 1965. At the time of the battle, the heavy weight of enemy fire meant that their bodies could not be recovered,” Mr Billson said.

“Operation Aussies Home, established by Vietnam veteran Mr Jim Bourke, is a dedicated group of Australians active in finding the bodies of six Australians, four Army and two RAAF, who are listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War.

“In 2005, the group visited the site of the 1965 battle in Vietnam, along with two Australian veterans and one Vietnamese veteran of the battle to try and pinpoint the likely burial sites of the two 1RAR soldiers,” Mr Billson said.

“Operation Aussies Home have now exhausted all avenues of possible research, including information held by the Army History Unit, the testimony of platoon members and interviews with Vietcong soldiers, to identify the area where the bodies are likely to be buried.

“Jim Bourke and his team have done an excellent job and they are now finalising plans to return to the site. This grant will help them apply insights gained from research to use advanced technology to locate physical evidence and remains.

“In addition to the grant, the Australian Government, through our embassy officials in Vietnam, will continue to assist Mr Bourke with in-country search approval from Vietnamese authorities, and in the facilitation of discussions with former Vietcong soldiers,” Mr Billson said.

Mr Bourke welcomed the funding from the Australian Government and also embassy support to assist in discussions with relevant Vietnamese Government authorities.

“These funds should go a long way towards achieving our goal of fully accounting for Parker and Gillson,” Mr Bourke said.

“The Australian Government, through Defence, is committed to honouring the memory of our war dead and helping to recover the remains of our brave soldiers to ensure they are laid to rest in accordance with family wishes, with the proper burial they deserve,” Mr Billson said.

Well done Jim. If it all works out I intend to be in Sydney when they come home. They are 40 years late but at least they won’t have to witness the pro-communist forces in Australia denigrating their service.