Scotch College

Scotch Reflects on Vietnam

'Today is a significant day in the School's proud history. We are recognising the brave and determined contribution that our Old Boys made to the Vietnam effort from 1962 to 1973. Old Scotch Collegians represented Australia in the Armed Forces, the National Service, the medical teams and in the media. They made contributions in other areas as well. They left their country, their homes and their families in the name of duty. Today they are back at school and we salute them.'

Dr Donaldson
Memorial Hall,
10.00am
Friday 7th November, 2003

Back Row: Alan Cuthbertson, Ron Rule, Ross McOmish, Campbell Penfold, Scotty Macleish, Jim Holland, Tom Mollard. John Maynard, Ken Duncan, Ian McInnes, Don Hook, Geoff Hunt, John Mancy. Front Row: David Grierson, John Phillip, Ian Dudgeon, David Purvis, Ray Kennedy, George Mackenzie, Peter Gration, Ian Porteous, Adrian Clunies-Ross, Ian Campbell, Ian Teague, Allan Lawton, Graham Cooper, Jim Murrell.

Friday 7 November 2003 will go down as one of the most notable days in the school's recent history. 27 Old Scotch Collegians were welcomed back to School, and their service to their country was acknowledged, recognised and applauded.

Wind back the clock some thirty years and the climate was very different. In the video that the School and the Old Scotch Collegians' Association have jointly produced, current staff member David Paul vividly recalls the time:

'The School never formally recognised the contribution that Old Scotch Collegians made in Vietnam. In fact they were largely ignored by both the School and the community.” The men who served in Vietnam were not applauded by the public like other Servicemen before - they were admonished. As General Gration said in his powerful address to the boys in the Vietnam Reflection Day assembly: 'By 1969 we had the situation of half a million people demonstrating against the war in the streets of Melbourne, while Servicemen were still fighting and dying overseas. The war really divided the country, and I hope never to see that situation again.”

It was time for this situation to be redressed - and hopefully with it, some of the anguish and hurt felt by those who served in the name of duty. In 2000, current staff member Patricia Holdaway decided to research Old Boys who had served in Vietnam during the conflict from 1962 until 1973. She was amazed by the men that she encountered and the stories that were told. She started to compile a biography of notes and recollections of Old Boys who had served. The list grew from 5 to 10, from 10 to 20 until the eventual 60 plus that we have on our records now. There are more too.

In conjunction with the Old Scotch Collegians' Association and the School, Pat and an organising committee worked together to bring the Scotch College Vietnam Reflection Day to fruition. You will have read in previous editions of Great Scot about the project. How ten Year 9 boys were identified to be the student leaders and how they visited the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance and the Vietnam display at San Remo. How they then went to Canberra to visit the the Vietnam memorial, the Australian War Memorial and the Defence Ministry in Parliment House. They also interviewed General Peter Gration, Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross and Ian Porteous for the video and visited General Peter Cosgrove whilst they were in the nation's capital.

The project culminated at the School on Friday 7 November. The whole school was mesmerised by General Gration's powerful address. He outlined seven different aspects of the Old Scotch Collegians' involvement in the conflict. He talked about the length of the war and the fact that it was Australia's longest war involvement. He talked about the controversy of the war and described to the boys what the war was about. He talked about what type of war it was and the fact that the Viet Cong won the war. Finally he discussed the involvement of Australians (and in particular about Old Scotch Collegians) and finally asked the boys two fundamental questions - should we have been there and was it worth it? He answered these questions like this. 'There is still dispute about the first question. Our decision makers' views were understandably shaped by Cold War prejudices of the times, and I believe if they had understood better the nature of the conflict, and had studied the French experience (in Vietnam) more closely, we would not have been committed. On the second question there is no escaping the harsh fact that our side lost, and all the sacrifice could therefore be seen to have been in vain. However, like everything to do with Vietnam, the reality is more complex. There is a respectable argument that our decade of fighting gave the other South East Asian countries, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, ten precious years to put their own houses in order and avoid an internal communist takeover. I will leave you to make up your own mind whether it was all worth it or not.”

He addressed the whole still-sensitive issue with clarity and forthrightness. Importantly he pitched his comments at a level the boys could comprehend and understand. Year 9 student Asish Sharma thanked General Gration and then Harry Hookey, Nicholas Kings (also of Year 9) and General Gration unveiled a plaque in recognition of Old Scotch Collegians who served in Vietnam. Luke Burgess (Year 9) then delivered a contextual narration regarding the involvement of the Old Boys in the project to the School and the Vietnam Veterans. Assembly concluded with a stirring version of the College Anthem, and many of the Old Boys confided that they had difficulty singing, such was the emotion of the moment.

It was back to the Lithgow Centre where an amazing display of Vietnam War photos, media reports, maps and weaponry - prepared by Michele Linossier, the Scotch College Library and the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Education Team (headed up by Phillip White) - attracted the attention of the current students and Old Scotch Vietnam Veterans alike. The power of the day could clearly be seen at this point as current students mingled with the Old Boys who were more than happy to field questions and even reminisce a bit! This display was one of ten work activities that had been prepared for the Year 9 students.

After watching the video, in which ten of the Old Scotch Vietnam Veterans were interviewed by theYear 9 students, it was down to the Cardinal Pavilion for the November OSCA luncheon. General Peter Gration again delivered an engaging address on a number of issues relating to the Vietnam War. He discussed the same seven points but explored them in greater depth. The lunch also gave the Old Boys a chance to catch up with each other in a relaxed atmosphere and talk about days gone by. This was followed by a tour of the School as a most remarkable day came to its inevitable end.

Tim Shearer
OSCA Executive Director

'The Principal, Dr Donaldson,
Mr Rob Wilson, President of
the Old Scotch Collegians' Association - thanks from of all
of us who were in Vietnam, for the wonderful day you have given us.
It has been, for us,
an unforgettable experience.
Those of us who were at the assembly in the Memorial Hall
this morning felt that, at last,
we were welcomed home.
We were deeply moved by
the occasion.'

George Mackenzie ('48),
Cardinal Pavilion, 2.00pm
Friday 7 November 2003