At the Bindoon ANZAC Day ceremony, Vietnam veteran Norm Fitzpatrick delivered a powerful and deeply personal address, sharing the realities of being conscripted as a teenager — finding himself under fire not just in the war zone, but at home too — and the long-lasting impacts of his service.
“I was a young man, around about 19 years old when I was conscripted into the army,” said Norm.
“We had to present ourselves to Karrakatta. From there, we went on a bus to the airport, which was standing room only, getting tomatoes and you name it thrown at us from the anti-war protesters.
“That never stopped, the protests were every time we left or arrived at an airport – there was always somebody there, blaming us,” he recalled.
Norm reflected on the dramatic shift between that reception, and what he receives today, especially on Anzac Day.
“It is great to see so many young people come up to you on Anzac Day, whether it be here or in Perth, and say, ‘Thank you for your service, sir.’ It’s amazing.
“We never got that when we returned from the war zone. We were shelved, we were loners. We weren’t even accepted with the RSL — it was rejection, after rejection, after rejection.”
Recent studies show that 20–30% of Australian Vietnam veterans have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with conscripted soldiers found to be particularly vulnerable to long-term psychological trauma. Norm believes most of his mates continue to live with those effects today.
“I’d say 90% of my mates are all like me — on a post-traumatic stress disorder pension, which took on average, 4 to 5 years before the government would accept their responsibilities to look after not just the Vietnam vets, but the previous vets and those that are coming out of the services today.”
The emotional and psychological toll of war was something Norm and many others were left to manage without proper support or understanding.
“We didn’t know what was wrong with us when we came back. We were alcoholics and workaholics, and we lived with a knot in our stomachs for years and years.
“The only time that I could talk about it was when I’d go to Perth and meet up with my army mates – but if somebody came in the conversation who had not served, we would shut up!
“We flocked around each other. They are the truest friends you could ever wish to meet.”
Norm also spoke candidly about the awkwardness and alienation many veterans felt when trying to reintegrate into civilian life. “I went into the Cranbrook pub when I first came back from Vietnam…some bugger was sitting in my stool!
“Then they’d ask, ‘How was it, in the Vietnam War?’ I’d say, ‘It was all right.’ And they would move down the other end of the bar. I didn’t know how to handle myself, and they didn’t know how to handle the situation either. It was shameful.”
Despite his own difficult experience with conscription, Norm believes there could be a place for a modern national service scheme — not to send young people to war, but to build resilience and responsibility in today’s youth.
“A national service scheme — not conscription — where every person in their teens goes and does — not two years, that’s far too long — but maybe three weeks of recruit training, four weeks of core training, and perhaps a couple of weeks per year as a refresher. It could help.
“Maybe it’s time for some politicians to have the courage to bring that back in.”
Norm’s address served as a reminder of the sacrifices made not only on the battlefield, but also in the years that followed — quiet battles faced by veterans who returned home changed, and often unsupported.
