Long time Inverell resident and Vietnam War Army veteran Jacko Ross often looks forward to ANZAC Day because it provides a forum for veterans to share their experiences with comrades who have gone through similar circumstances.
The now 77 year old Jacko told the New England Times that it can be tough for veterans to explain what they went through to people who haven’t been in the military themselves.
“It can be hard to talk and explain it to people who haven’t experienced it first hand, but the day is also a time to remember the boys who didn’t come home with us,” he said.
This year, Jacko said he is looking forward to ANZAC Day for another reason. His son and grandson, who followed his footsteps into the Australian Army, will be joining him for the ANZAC Day march in town.
“My son Jason spent 25 years in the Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel; he served in Timor, Iraq, the Solomon Islands and several other theatres of war; he was a career soldier,” he said.
“My grandson Harry is currently an officer in the Army. He graduated from Duntroon about 12 months ago as a lieutenant and will be the guest speaker at the ANZAC Day ceremony at Inverell. Three generations of the Australian Army will be marching together.”
According to Jacko, his son and grandson could very well have been influenced by his time in the Army and enlisted themselves.
“I’m sure it did; my son said it did. My grandson, when his father was posted to America as a major, went with him, and I think all the mateship that he saw might have influenced him to go on and enlist as well,” Jacko said.
Conscription led to service
Jacko spent two years in the Australian Army as a private from 1967 to 1969 after he was conscripted as part of Australia’s National Service program, which was in force from 1951 to 1972.
During this period, around 287,000 young men were called up in two separate schemes for compulsory training in the Navy, Army, and Air Force. The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975.
“I was conscripted as a national serviceman and did 12 months training in Australia, and 12 months in Vietnam in 1968,” Jacko said.
“Every three months, they did an intake, and they pulled out a number for each month. If your birthday came out, I was October 21st, if it came out, everyone who was medically fit, and was born on that date was taken into the Army,” he added.
Following his mandatory two years in the Army, Jacko found himself itching for a return home to Inverell, where he had lived since he was 14, to resume his trade, play sports and date.
“I wanted to get back, I was an electrician, I wanted to get back to my trade and the town. I didn’t have a girlfriend at the time, so I thought it might be a good time to chase a few girls too,” Jacko said.
“I was also a very keen footballer, and they didn’t play Rugby League in the Army at the time; they only played Rugby Union, so I wanted to get back to playing football.”
Mateship endures, long after the end of the war
Despite being conscripted, Jacko says he “enjoyed being in the army, and looks back fondly on his service because of the “comradeship” and” trust” he had with his fellow soldiers.
“The comrades that you have, and the trust you put in them, you trusted them with everything. You had to trust your officers that they were giving you the right orders,” he said.
“That didn’t stop when we got out of the Army; we didn’t have a real good time coming home from Vietnam, so we all stuck together, and if anyone was in trouble, we all banded together to help them out.”
Many Vietnam veterans were treated very poorly by the government and the broader public upon their return home from the war. However, through the tough times, Jacko says the bond he forged with his fellow Vietnam veterans still exists to this day.
He wasn’t deployed with anyone from Inverell, but Jacko has since made friends with other veterans from the local areas who served in the Vietnam War.
“I met them all when I came back. We all had the same problems at the time. We still rely on one another for mateship and support whenever we need it to this day,” he said.
“Every month, seven or so of us go to one of the little towns around Inverell here and have lunch and a few beers. If anyone is having any problems, we try to sort it out for them.”
“That comradeship is still there after 50 years.”
Top image: Jacko, Jason and Harry Ross, all aged 19.
See what events are happening for ANZAC Day in the region here.
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