Greg ‘Walks’ Walkley was conscripted to the Australian army in 1971.

He was just 22 years old.

A marble rolled from a metal barrel, inscribed with the birthdates of young men, who would now soon be looking down the barrel.

Walks left his home in Rochester soon after receiving his conscription letter - headed for basic training.

And then boarding HMAS Sydney, sailing from Adelaide on February 15, 1971, carrying the Third Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) — and Private Walkley.

They were expected to serve in the Vietnam War for 12 months.

Their introduction to war was brutal and right there in front of them. Camped near a helicopter landing zone, Walks and his company watched wounded men being ferried in from the jungle — and a battlefield they were headed for.

Walks was ordered to serve as a forward scout — in front of the frontline and the first target in enemy sights — clearing thick jungle.

And to report back any sightings of Viet Cong.

Well-worn paths were riddled with booby-traps — so scouts cleared the way with secateurs, quietly cutting through the vines, having found machetes far too noisy.

Walks described the conditions as intensely humid, and in the wet season rain fell every afternoon like a blanket. The dry season was no better — fine red dust encased every imaginable thing as if they were rusting.

“They hit us at seven o'clock at night, until seven the next morning.”

Four or five days after their arrival, the company was positioned in a bamboo plantation, where they came under fire for the first time.

“We lost a platoon commander and a private,” Walks recalled.

"They got hit by a satchel charge — a bag full of bolts and nuts and high explosives.”

Walks recalled being told by a captured North Vietnamese soldier — who had been retrained as a scout — the enemy had suffered more than 200 deaths and 1800 wounded during the engagement.

He attributed the intensity and scale of combat to the battle of Long Tan.

Some nights the company dug shell scrapes amongst the bamboo roots and huge, towering trees — hearing movements in the canopy.

The dark was impenetrable, and furry black masses fell from that canopy and landed on the men.

“We don't know to this day whether they were big spiders or monkeys — they never uttered a sound,” Walks said.

Walks met Charlie, the slang name for the enemy, many times after — different fights, different terrain, different scale, same wounded and killed.

And then eight months into the 12-month deployment, the company was told they were going home — the Australian Government had pulled the plug and were withdrawing all forces.

"Our company came in after an operation — to be told we were going home," Walks said.

"We had a huge dinner and got into the booze to try and drink as much as we could."

He returned to Australia in October 1971, on the Sydney again, back in Adelaide again but this time met by his father — a World War II veteran — who immediately pinned an RSL badge to his army jacket.

His father served in the Ninth Division, experiencing harsh conditions in Borneo before returning home with mental scars of his own and father and son found themselves navigating the aftermath of conflict, leaning on shared understanding within veteran circles.

For five decades, the Rochester RSL sub-branch has stood as more than just a brick-and-mortar building for Walks.

"It's family," he said. "It was like a second home to me."

Like many of his generation, transitioning back to civilian life presented invisible challenges, compounded by a distinct lack of support for returning service personnel.

His time in Vietnam had left an enduring mark.

"And the release was the RSL," Walks said.

Walks returned to Rochester, resumed his trade as an electrician — a career spanning 29 years — and married. Together, they raised four boys.

But some things never truly fade away.

Walks experienced nightmares and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

He said drinking was one way some veterans attempted to deal with their experiences, particularly when there was little understanding or support available for returning servicemen.

Today, Walks remains concerned younger veterans discharging from military service are not being adequately informed about the RSL, or how to access support through the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

As communities across the region prepare to pause for Remembrance Day, Walks reflected on why local services remain essential. For him, the eleventh hour carries the weight of history and personal loss.

"Remembrance Day still means a lot to me, because we're remembering the old soldiers," he said.

"I remember the World War I and II soldiers, so now we're remembering our mates."

When asked why regional towns must continue hosting local Remembrance Day services, Walks’s answer is unwavering.

"Always have. Always will."

Rochester RSL will stage a Remembrance Day Service on Wednesday at its War Memorial Gardens starting at 10.45pm.

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