Half a century after they died, the bodies of 32 Australian soldiers and their dependents, many of whom were killed in the Vietnam War, were returned home from Malaysia Tuesday.
In a sombre ceremony, their flag-draped coffins were loaded onto Australian airforce planes by a military guard of honour as a bugle sounded the Last Post.
Australia sent more than 60,000 troops to fight in the Vietnam War and 521 were killed. Soldiers were buried in the nearest Commonwealth cemetery unless their families could pay for repatriation to Australia.
"As a soldier, I am proud that the remains can be brought closer to their loved ones," said Abdullah Sani Mohamed, the Army Museum Director, who oversees Terendak Military Cemetery in Malaysia, where the Australians were buried.
He said 21 of the deceased were Australian soldiers killed in Vietnam, three had been killed in the fight against communist insurgents in Malaysia, and eight others were family members.
In 1966, Australia changed the repatriation policy so that all fallen soldiers would be taken home.
Last year, the government offered to pay for the repatriation of any soldiers buried overseas prior to the policy change, with 33 families accepting the offer.
Another body will be repatriated from Kranji Cemetery in Singapore, the Australian government said in a statement.
The remains in Malaysia were driven from Terendak Military Cemetery to Subang Airbase, west of the capital Kuala Lumpur, in white vans early Tuesday.
The caskets, draped with the Australian flag, were carried onto two waiting Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft, as top brass and officials from both countries looked on.
Family members of the deceased, including Christopher Bowtell, whose grandfather Robert Walter Bowtell died in the Vietnam War, were at the event.
"He is finally coming home," Bowtell, who also serves in the Australian army, told AFP, adding that his family were "pretty excited -- it is going to be quite an experience".
The coffins will be flown to Richmond Royal Australian Air Force Base, where families of the servicemen and civilians will gather for a ceremony Thursday.
This year also marks half a century since the Battle of Long Tan, which took place in August 1966 and was Australia’s costliest day in the Vietnam War, with 18 soldiers killed.
AFP
Tue May 31 2016
![Australia war dead repatriated from Malaysia Australia war dead repatriated from Malaysia](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2016-05/41464684828_ChristopherBowtell.jpg)
Australian military personell Christopher Bowtell (L), whose late grandfather Robert Walter Bowtell's remains were sent back, attends a repatriation ceremony at the Royal Malaysian Airforce base in Subang on Tuesday. - AFP photo
![Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/61723677980_MounirNasraoui.jpg)
Bapa bintang bola sepak Sepanyol, Lamine Yamal ditikam - Laporan
Mounir Nasraoui, bapa kepada Lamine Yamal, ditikam pada lewat Rabu di tempat letak kereta di bandar Mataro di timur laut Sepanyol.
Putin anggap rundingan dengan Ukraine tidak berguna
Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin menyifatkan, tindakan Ukraine yang menyerang orang awam memperlihatkan keengganan Kyiv menyelesaikan konflik peperangan dua negara dengan cara perdamaian.
Fadillah tiba di Peru, hadiri mesyuarat menteri-menteri tenaga APEC 2024
Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof tiba Lima, Peru bagi menghadiri Mesyuarat Menteri-Menteri Tenaga (EMM) di bawah Kerjasama Ekonomi Asia Pasifik (APEC) yang berlangsung selama dua hari.
BNM denda Maybank RM4.32 juta, CIMB RM760,000 berikutan gangguan perkhidmatan berpanjangan
Bank Negara Malaysia mengenakan Penalti Monetari Pentadbiran (AMP) sebanyak RM4.32 juta ke atas Malayan Banking Bhd dan Maybank Islamic Bhd serta RM760,000 ke atas CIMB Bank Bhd dan CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd susulan gangguan beberapa perkhidmatan perbankan yang berpanjangan.
![Pertubuhan kebajikan New Zealand mohon maaf edar gula-gula bercampur dadah Methamphetamine Pertubuhan kebajikan New Zealand mohon maaf edar gula-gula bercampur dadah Methamphetamine](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723674988_pineapplesweetsme.jpg)
Pertubuhan kebajikan New Zealand mohon maaf edar gula-gula bercampur dadah Methamphetamine
Auckland City Mission secara tidak sengaja telah mengagihkan gula-gula bercampur Methamphetamine yang boleh membawa maut melalui pek makanan.
Pesakit buah pinggang di Gaza hadapi kekurangan mesin dialisis
Pesakit buah pinggang di Gaza menghadapi kekurangan peralatan dialisis dan bekalan perubatan yang teruk di Khan Younis.
Kekejaman zionis: Hamas hilang kepercayaan A.S jadi pengantara gencatan senjata
Hamas hilang kepercayaan terhadap keupayaan Amerika Syarikat untuk menjadi pengantara gencatan senjata di Gaza.
Kekejaman zionis: Hamas tidak ambil bahagian rundingan gencatan senjata baharu
Hamas tidak akan mengambil bahagian dalam pusingan baharu rundingan gencatan senjata Gaza yang dijadualkan di Qatar, pada Khamis.
Malaysia kecam pencerobohan Israel ke atas Masjid Al-Aqsa
Wisma Putra dalam satu kenyataan pada Rabu berkata perbuatan keji ini yang dilakukan di bawah perlindungan pasukan keselamatan Israel, merupakan pencerobohan serius terhadap satu daripada tapak paling suci Islam.
![WHO isytihar mpox sebagai kecemasan kesihatan awam global WHO isytihar mpox sebagai kecemasan kesihatan awam global](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-08/41723675747_Mpoxvirus.jpg)
WHO isytihar mpox sebagai kecemasan kesihatan awam global
Ini merupakan pengisytiharan kali kedua dalam tempoh dua tahun berikutan wabak yang bermula di Congo sudah merebak ke negara jiran.