The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (1731040) Private Douglas Javing Salveron, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Vietnam

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Craig Blanch, the story for this day was on (1731040) Private Douglas Javing Salveron, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Vietnam.

1731040 Private Douglas Javing Salveron, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
KIA 18 August 1966
Photograph: P10631.001

Story delivered 18 August 2014

Today we remember and pay tribute to Private Douglas Javing Salveron.

Douglas Javing Salveron was born on 17 February 1945 in Brisbane to Sergeant Francisco and Clarissa Salveron.

When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941, Francisco Salveron left his wife and daughters in Manila to serve with the United States Army, but lost contact with them after being evacuated from Corregidor to Brisbane. There he met Clarissa Grey, a divorcee, when she took her daughter, Lorraine, to watch the ships at Brisbane’s docks. She and Salveron began a relationship and, though not married, she took his name. In 1944 she gave birth to a daughter, Frances, named for her father. The following year saw the birth of another child, Douglas, named after General Douglas MacArthur, but by then Francisco had left Australia.

Francisco accompanied General MacArthur as his aide-de-camp on operations in the Pacific. When MacArthur waded ashore on Leyte Island in October 1944 Francisco was with him, and he features in the iconic photographs taken of this event. He met up with his original family in January 1945 and MacArthur later sponsored them in a move to the United States.

Clarissa raised Frances and Douglas by herself. Frances was kept back a year so that she and Douglas could attend school together, but after year 8 Clarissa could no longer afford to send them to school and both children had to go to work.

Douglas gained employment as an office boy with the shipping firm Able, Lemon and Company, and worked his way up to shipping manager.

In 1965, now aged 20, Douglas received his call-up papers for service with the Army. His employer told him that his job would be waiting for him when he returned.

During basic training at the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka, Salveron excelled and was awarded a plaque as the platoon’s best rifle shot. After completing his infantry initial employment training at Singleton, he was posted to the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, joining 6 Section, 11 Platoon, D Company. In preparation for deployment to Vietnam, the men undertook exercises at the Canungra and Shoalwater Bay training areas.

When the battalion arrived in Saigon in mid-1966 the main Australian base at Nui Dat had just been established and the 1st Australian Task Force, to which 6RAR was attached, had been raised. The battalion immediately deployed on a search-and-clearance operation in a nearby village and, soon after, on a five-day search-and-destroy operation.
In the early hours of 17 August Nui Dat was hit by mortar and rifle fire, causing 24 Australian casualties. Patrols were sent out and soon located the enemy firing positions, but the Viet Cong had withdrawn.

The next day D Company moved into the Long Tan area. Shortly after 3 pm it came into contact with the Vietnamese in the rubber plantation, and 11 Platoon followed up. At approximately 4 pm, 11 Platoon encountered heavy opposition and began taking casualties.

During this stage of the battle Douglas was shot through the head and killed by a Vietnamese sniper, and in minutes 6 Section was all but wiped out. The platoon, engaged from three sides, was in danger of being cut off. At this time, monsoonal rain deluged the area, reducing visibility and turning the ground into slick, red mud.

In the hours that followed, a numerically superior Vietnamese force attempted to overrun D Company, but well-controlled artillery fire and ammunition resupply flown in by Australian helicopters helped stave off disaster. That evening, armoured personnel carriers arrived and linked up with D Company, and as night fell the enemy withdrew.

The next morning the men of D Company returned to battle site and recovered two of their badly wounded comrades. Douglas and the rest of the fallen were found still lying at their weapons, having died defending their positions. It was a sight that chilled their comrades who witnessed it.

The Australians recovered three wounded Vietnamese soldiers and buried over 245 of their dead.

Salveron’s body was returned to Australia and he was laid to rest in the Mount Gravatt Cemetery, Queensland. He was 21 years old.

Francisco Salveron never knew his son, and passed away in 1998. When Clarissa passed away in 1997, aged 93, she was buried next to Douglas.

Douglas Salveron’s name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with more than 500 others from the Vietnam War, and his photograph is displayed today beside the Pool of Reflection.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Private Douglas Javing Salveron, and all those Australians who have given their lives in service of our nation.