This weekend I’ll be at Coolangatta at a platoon reunion. 43 years ago next Tuesday we lost our first mate, Neil Richardson, on operations in South Vietnam with
7RAR. Our platoon, Recconnaisance (Recce) Platoon, had 62 soldiers go through the ranks with 3 Killed in Action (KIA), over 30 wounded or evacuated sick or damaged and 17 having died since coming home.
Five days together with a break each day to recover from the previous day’s excesses we will commemorate our losses and celebrate surviving war and left-wing assaults on our honour.
If you don’t respect our service we don’t care – we know we did the right thing
The pic has us young and on our last day in-country. So you know I wasn’t always grey haired, I am kneeling in the front with my arm on a mates shoulder.
I still getting over malaria then so was skinny as well.
Oh, the ravages of time.
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How did that mortarman get in the shot?
Who?
The bloke hiding in the shadows on the left of the pic.
He did spend time in Recce to the end of the tour. He now has Pancreatic Cancer and is in his end days. WIll be having lunch with him tomorrow
Very sad to hear that Kev. I don.t expect he’ll remember me, but say guday for me if you remember. He could be the life of the party at times. Knew him for short time in mortars….. a good bloke. Last time I saw him he was a W.O. and going well. A lot of the lads seem to succumb to cancer.
I am the nephew of Neil Richardson. His brother Malcolm is my father.
I wanted to thank you for what you wrote. He died long before my time, but I’ve always been so proud of him. I’ve read the stories involved in his death. But I’ve always wanted to know about him while he was alive. I understand if this is something you may not want to revisit, but If you feel up to it, I’d love to hear about him.
Thank you once again
Regards
Dayle “Richo” Richardson