The day marked the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, in which 18 Australian soldiers were killed, including 17 from D Company.

One man who was a part of D Company was Junee’s Ian Dixon.

In D Company 6 RAR, Mr Dixon was one of the men patrolling the area of the Long Tan rubber plantation on August 18, 1966.

It was on this day the patrol encountered the Viet Cong.

When the hard-fought battle was over, the Viet Cong was defeated but at the cost of 18 Australian lives.

For his role in the battle, Mr Dixon was presented with citations from the US and South Vietnamese governments.

And yesterday, his efforts were acknowledged by the Australian Government, which announced he was to receive a Unit Citation for Gallantry.

It is awarded in recognition of extraordinary gallantry in action.

Acknowledged by fellow veteran Colonel Pat Thorne AM during the ceremony, Mr Thorne said he believed it was one of the first citations the government had issued.

As guest speaker, Mr Thorne talked to those gathered about the daily life of infantry men who served in Vietnam and the great admiration he felt for his comrades.

“It was the hardest and dirtiest fought wars. This is what these Diggers faced,” he said.

President of the South West Slopes Vietnam Veterans’ sub-branch John Curtis said he was please with this year’s turn out to the march given the cold weather.