The one thing Vietnam veterans are still fighting for

A Vietnam veteran has shared a harrowing story on 3AW Drive of the powerful anti-war sentiment in Australia when he returned home.

Digger John Howard told Tom Elliott he wasn’t allowed in to his friend’s house when he turned up after serving in Vietnam.

He was told ‘we don’t allow baby and women killers in this home’ and it affected him for a long time. 

‘Vietnam vets, the way they are accepted by the community, has changed,’ he said.

Moving forward, he said there was one thing they were still fighting for.

‘The one group really being left behind is the civilian nurses and doctors who volunteer to go Vietnam to save the hearts and minds of the local populations,’ he said.

‘They don’t get all the medical facilities, pensions, support of the Federal Government.’

Read more: Vietnam authorities cancel commemoration at Long Tan

Click PLAY to hear John Howard describe more [from 5.55 minutes]