One of Penola’s own will be remembered and honoured next week, as the 50th anniversary of Australia’s withdrawal from the Vietnam War draws near.
The Coonawarra and Penola Returned and Services League will hold a memorial next Thursday for David Steen, a Penola local who was called up to the Vietnam War as part of the National Servicemen’s program.
This year marks 50 years since Australia withdrew from Vietnam, and the RSL
Mr Steen was only 22 when he was killed in action in South Vietnam on February 18 1968.
He was the only person from Penola to die be killed in the Vietnam War.
The Steen Family arrived in Australia in 1960 from the Falkland Islands and settled in Penola where they worked at the Penola Butter factory.
Mr Steen attended school and played football in Penola, and in 1967, he was called up for National Service duty.
At the time he was employed as a tractor driver, but later that year he was sent to South Vietnam as a sapper with 1st Field Squadron, Royal Australian Engineers.
During the 1968 TET offensive at Fire Support Base Andersen, Mr Steen was killed while at a listening post outside the perimeter wire, during a 150 round Viet Cong Mortar barrage.
After midnight two waves of Viet Cong attacked the base resulting in eight Australians being killed and 22 wounded.
He was laid to rest in the Penola cemetery.
He will be remembered On Thursday, July 3, with everyone invited to pay their respects.
There will be a memorial at 11am in War Memorial Park, where a tree has been planted in Mr Steen’s honour.
All are welcome.
More than 804,000 men registered for national service between 1964 and 1972, with more than 63,000 called up to serve, and more than 15,000 served in the Vietnam War, where around 200 died and over 1,200 were wounded.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, Veterans SA is gathering the stories of South Australian Vietnam veterans and their families to capture and preserve these personal histories for the benefit of future generations.
