Fallen Mossman soldier remembered in moving service
Vietnam Veterans' Day
After a horrific Vietnam War booby-trap-mine explosion which killed seven soldiers and wounded 13 in the notorious Long Hai Hills on February 28, 1970, JJ Barrett was the most senior soldier left standing.
The temporary corporal immediately assumed control and marked out a safe lane with two other soldiers to a flat rock where a helicopter could land to help rescue the injured.
But, while looking up at the rescue helicopter, Barrett inadvertently stepped outside of the cleared zone and onto a jumping jack M16 landmine laid by the Viet Cong.
He was instantly killed, and two of his fellow soldiers were wounded.
Remembered at 11am this morning during the Mossman RSL’s Vietnam Veterans' Day commemoration, James “Jim” Joseph Barrett was born in Mossman on October 12, 1945, the third of John and Margaret Barrett’s four children.
After the family moved to Brisbane when Jim was 14, he was known as a larrikin who wagged a lot of school, but found his calling when he enlisted in the army.
RSL President John Grime remembered JJ Barrett and other fallen soldiers in front of an about 40-strong crowd gathered before the RSL memorial.
Mr Grime said there were still a number of Douglas Shire residents that “live amongst us, they work with us, they socialise with us” who served in Vietnam and “thankfully came back”.
But there were also “those that didn’t”.
“There is the story of JJ Barrett, a Mossman man who was a volunteer who served in the army, left, and didn’t find what he needed in civilian life, and rejoined,” Mr Grime said.
“He served in Vietnam and was tragically killed while supporting American helicopter operations in Vietnam.”
Barrett first joined the army as a teenager, enlisting for six years.
After training at Kapooka, he was posted in 1966 to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, serving in Vietnam.
When 1RAR returned that year, he transferred to 6RAR and served in Vietnam until the following February.
He then volunteered to join 8RAR and was deployed to Malaysia, where he was promoted to lance corporal, returning to Australia in 1969.
In November he went to Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane to farewell his mates who were setting sail for Vietnam aboard HMAS Sydney, and decided there and then to re-enlist.
He re-joined 8RAR in January 1970 and was promoted to temporary corporal, becoming a section commander in 1 Platoon, A Company.
Mossman RSL Vice President Ron Savage served in the same battalion as Barrett, and was tasked with the heartbreaking role of processing his death.
“I remember he got killed,” Mr Savage said today.
“I had to process the paperwork.”
Those gathered at Mossman RSL today held a minute’s silence, placed wreaths on the memorial and had a barbecue lunch to thank Vietnam Veterans across the country for their service.
Vietnam Veterans' Day takes place on August 18 to acknowledge the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.
Lest We Forget.
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