Remember war and learn from it

Published on 23 April 2026

“I think we should remember war to stop war, not to start them,” are the wise words of an Oamaru vet of nearly 70 years.

Noel, who only wants to go by his first name, is one of the forgotten soldiers of the Vietnam conflict and would be happy to never see another young person go to war.

A member of the fourth battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, known as Victor 3, the former infantry private wants people to remember on Anzac Day, so that we fight against wars happening again.

When he remembers his time in Vietnam, he tries to focus on the funny bits like the soldier that got shot in the arm.

“The soldier yelled out ‘they broke my arm, they broke my arm’. And don’t ask me why, but I said you were never going to be an All Black anyhow’.”

Having said that, Noel wouldn’t wish war on anyone.

“I know I went to one, to a war, but I wouldn’t wish it on anybody and now I wouldn’t wish it even more, with drones and everything else that they’ve got.”

He wants young people to know we need to learn from history, not repeat it.

But in the steamy Vietnamese jungles in 1968 his soldier buddies were family.

“We had each other’s backs and relied on one another.

“It was a lot of boredom. It was a lot of walking and nothing happening. [When] things happened, they happened quick and it was all over again.”

Twice Noel escaped the Vietcong guns without major damage.

The first bullet hit the lighter in his pocket and saved him from anything worse than some bruising. The second was from a rocket-propelled grenade which hit a nearby tree and a little bit of shrapnel hit his wrist.