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Cromwell RSA Secretary Peter Svensson (left) and Vietnam War Veteran Lewis Pagan stand outside the Cromwell Memorial Events Centre, following the wreath-laying service marking the 60th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan.
Episode 3350 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about how New Zealand honored one of its Vietnam Veterans. The story is titled: Vietnam vet honoured decades on. It appeared on the Central Otago News website and was submitted by Carys Trotter.
Trotter.reported that at 77 years old, Vietnam War veteran Lewis Pagan stood at the Cromwell War Memorial Gardens and laid a wreath during a powerful service honoring the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. For Mr. Pagan, the moment carried deep meaning. Like so many Vietnam Veterans, he had returned from war to a nation that often wanted its soldiers to “put away their medals and forget about it.” Decades later, their service and sacrifice are finally receiving the recognition they deserve.
The Battle of Long Tan, fought on August 18, 1966, remains one of the defining battles of the Vietnam War. Just 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers faced a vastly larger Viet Cong and North Vietnamese force in a rain-soaked rubber plantation. Their survival depended in part on the extraordinary courage and skill of New Zealand’s 161 Field Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery, which fired more than 1,000 rounds under brutal monsoon conditions to help hold the line until relief arrived. Eighteen Australians were killed and 24 wounded.
Mr. Pagan served in Vietnam in 1969 after intensive military training in New Zealand, Fiji and Malaya. As a member of Whiskey Company, based largely at Nui Dat, he experienced the harsh realities of jungle warfare, tropical disease, snakes, difficult terrain and the constant uncertainty of combat. He remembers his fellow soldiers as “such good mates,” united across backgrounds and cultures.
His story also reflects the painful homecoming experienced by many Vietnam War Veterans, who were met by protesters and often returned to civilian life without the recognition they had earned.
Today, honoring veterans like Lewis Pagan is more important than ever. The Vietnam Veteran Generation demonstrated extraordinary courage, loyalty, brotherhood and resilience. Their service must never be forgotten. We honor all our Vietnam Veterans for their courage, sacrifice, patriotism and unwavering dedication to their comrades and country.
Listen to episode 3350 and discover more about how New Zealand honored one of its Vietnam Veterans..
