Commemorations in 2006 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan should have helped the rehabilitation of Australia's Vietnam veterans. No one doubts the courage of these mostly young men or the trauma they have experienced since their return. No one should deny that they have been treated badly.
One indication is that only now, 36 years after Australia's withdrawal from Vietnam, and coinciding with the 42nd anniversary of Long Tan, a study is to be held into the health outcomes of service for veterans and their families.
Several official ceremonies have honoured Vietnam veterans, including a Welcome Home Parade and the dedication of a memorial in Canberra.
But so far, the nation has failed to face the reality of the veterans' treatment. Too many speeches by politicians and veterans have given the impression that the rehabilitation process was undermined by opponents of the war. During the commemorations, a prominent image was the archival television footage of a lone protestor splashed with red paint at a welcome home parade for soldiers marching through a city street in their jungle greens.
When Prime Minister Howard apologised to Vietnam veterans for their treatment, there was an implication that the whole Australian community had failed veterans, and that the unpopularity of the war had been engineered by protestors.
But those who opposed the war do not bear the responsibility for the tragic decisions affecting the veterans' lives. If protestors were less than welcoming, that is hardly surprising. They conscientiously believed that the commitment brought shame upon Australia.
And while it is no reflection on the dedicated service of individual soldiers, the fact is that in hindsight, the protestors were correct. In reality, the greatest need for regret must be among those who sent the troops to this divisive war and the governments that have begrudged them adequate rehabilitation services ever since.
The divisive nature of the welcome home process is often overlooked. There were parades with ticker tape and cheering crowds, but this fact does not suit the faux history written by militarists. Historian Mark McKenna points out in Raimond Gaita's book on Iraq, Why the War Was Wrong, that the myth about failure to welcome troops home from Vietnam aims to discourage dissent about any war for fear of offending military personnel.
Parades for soldiers returning from Vietnam were easier to organise when large units travelled home on ships.