Awardee reflection - Meg Futo

The opportunity to travel to Vietnam this year as a winner of the Premier’s ANZAC Spirit School Prize is one that I will forever be grateful for. The study tour went far beyond my expectations in all aspects, and I was awed at the amazing places, stories and people we were exposed to.

It was incredible to be able to see so much of the country, from Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau in the south, Hue and Hoi An in the centre, and Hanoi up north. The passion that our local guide Martin had for his country was immeasurable, and he was always happy to share his vast knowledge with us, whether to talk about the Vietnam war sites we visited, or simply point out a type of fruit they were selling on the side of the road. There are many people of Vietnamese descent living in our country, so I think it was a really valuable opportunity to learn about their culture, including all the delicious food they eat (some of which we learnt to cook), their way of life, religion and mentality. Whether it was just watching the hustle and bustle on the side of the road in Ho Chi Minh City, seeing the beautiful lanterns in Hoi An, or taking a cyclo ride in Hanoi, everything was surreal. It was also clear to me that although Vietnam is a less developed country with less economic prosperity, the people have a deep sense of gratitude for everything that they have. You could see it in the smiles that people wore and in the optimistic way that Martin spoke about the future of the country. He told us how hard students study as they are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to make a difference to their quality of life. I think this sense of gratitude is something that I will try to take into my own life in the future, in order to find joy in the simpler things and be satisfied with what I have. Perhaps, in a funny way, the fact that Australians live such a privileged and complicated lifestyle has actually made us less appreciative of day-to-day simplicities.

On this, I think one thing that really stood out for me on the trip was having the space to reflect on my life and notice those small things. In everyone’s busy lives, we rarely have that moment to think about the world and who we want to be within it, but I really valued the opportunity to do that through our journals. Additionally, we spoke a lot about the ANZAC Spirit qualities, such as service, mateship, courage and ingenuity and how we could apply these to become better people, which was very powerful for me.

However, the stand-out part of the trip for me would definitely have to be learning about the Vietnam war. I had quite a vast knowledge of the conflict before the trip due to my involvement in a group at school creating an honour board for past scholars who served in Vietnam, but the opportunity to actually visit the places I had heard about deepened my understanding much further. I was able to visualise old scholars from my school when we visited Nui Dat, and researching David Paterson before I left, a teacher who passed away in Vietnam, really gave me a story to attach to all of these places. I was also very grateful to be able to share his story with everyone during our nightly sharing sessions and hear everyone else’s wonderfully written stories of ordinary people who gave their lives for our freedom today.

The two services during the study tour which were expertly run by Dennis were also deeply moving. At Long Tan, the air felt heavy as we laid flowers for the 18 fallen of D Company, 6RAR with tears in our eyes. We listened to the song ‘I was only 19’ which reflected the harsh reality of what servicepeople in Vietnam went through, especially on the 18^th of August 1966. If the silence which ensued was any indication, it had left a mark on us all. Towards the end of the trip, we rose early and headed up to the deck of our cruise ship for the ANZAC Day service. With our hands on the rails, Dennis’s storytelling transformed the islands of Ha Long bay into the cliffs of Gallipoli and conjured images of men in rowboats in the vast ocean, shot at from all directions. The lightning and thunder only added to the atmosphere.

There were, however, lighter moments to balance this all out. This included when we started the party on the cruise ship dance floor, did bus karaoke, or shared many jokes and smiles. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to share the experience with, and I have made many new friendships which I intend to continue. It was amazing to share meaningful discussions with like-minded people to process the day’s learnings and support each other through the great and not-so-great parts of the trip (such as that extra day in Hoi An). The teachers were also amazing mentors who were always happy to chat and share their knowledge.

All in all, I have taken so many things away from this trip, including memories of beautiful places we visited together, and all the fun moments, but also the deeper gratitude I gained for our country and those who made it such a free and prosperous place. Walking the steps of the brave Australians who served in Vietnam really solidified the reality of the sacrifices which they made for our country, many of which still affect them or their family in some way. They deserve to be remembered, and we have a responsibility to honour them through our own actions by reflecting their selfless qualities in our everyday life. So thank you to everyone who made this trip possible. And thank you to everyone who gave their hopes, their dreams, and their lives for my very privileged situation today.

Lest we forget.

Meg