FORREST GUMP GOT IT RIGHT

"There's something I been wondering all these years, Forrest - what do you think Bubba died for?" "Cause he got shot," I says, but he say. "No that ain't what I mean. What I mean is , why? Why was we over there?"

I thought for a minute, and say "Well we was trying to do the right thing, I guess. We was just doing what we was told" And he say, "Well do you think it was worth it? What we did? All them boys getting killed that way?"

And I say, "Look, I am just an idiot, see. But if you want my real opinion, I think it was a bunch of shit. Bubba's daddy nodded his head. "That's what I figured,"he say.

I wrote the following in April 1995. It was inspired by the above conversation between two fictional characters, a US soldier, Forrest Gump, and the father of his friend Bubba who had been killed in Vietnam. The following sentiments I expressed then in relation to Australia's military involvement in Vietnam apply equally to Australia's current military involvement in Iraq.

I would not expect Malcolm Fraser or John Howard to voice their disapproval of the Vietnam war in such graphic terms, nor to condone it in general, and Australia's part in it in particular.

But condone it they did commenting on the opinion of Robert McNamara, the former United States Defence Secretary (who held that office during the Vietnam campaign) that the war was a terrible mistake.

More than 58,000 Americans and 500 Australians were killed and thousands more physically wounded and mentally scarred in a prolonged campaign, fuelled by the anti-Communist fervour of politicians.

The Vietnam war created vast schisms in Australian and American society. No political, industrial or social event has so stirred Australians as did Vietnam. Never has there been so much cynicism, ignorance and disillusion over war. Never has dissent been more worthy than patriotism, conscientious objectors more gallant than heroes.

"There is no honour in remaining in Vietnam, no reason why money, effort and above all lives, should be sacrificed for an untenable war", was my written comment on 23 June, 1971.

Australians continued to serve and die in Vietnam until Gough Whitlam withdrew our troops as one of his first actions on becoming Prime Minister in 1972.

Politicians, and to some extent the public, showed their antipathy to the Vietnam campaign by their attitude to the veterans on their return. Those who served in Vietnam were ignored, denied the privileges, pensions, help and acclamation afforded those who fought in world wars one and two.

Understandably they were bitter and had to fight bureaucracy, intolerance and public indifference for their rights.

Eventually those who returned received a modicum of recognition, but those who died, died for a cause that was not theirs. Nor was it ours. Malcolm Fraser and John Howard got it wrong. It is the fictional Forrest Gump who got it right.

And in relation to Iraq, Forrest Gump's words are as right today as they were when he spoke about Vietnam.