Something very special is happening in Bermagui this weekend, a one-off never to be repeated.
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Veterans from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment that served in Vietnam between 1966 and 1972 are travelling from every state and territory for a reunion.
Now in their 70s and 80s, a number of ex-servicemen pass away each year so for some the reunion may be the last time they see each other.
For a handful though it will be the first time they have seen each other since they left Vietnam.
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Roy Davies, president of the Bermagui RSL sub-branch, helped organise the reunion.
"All the men attending have seen active service against the enemy in Vietnam," Mr Davies said.
Just over 100 people - Vietnam veterans and their partners - are expected to attend.
Last chance for such a big reunion
"A lot of them are ageing and getting disabilities so we thought before a lot of them pass away, let's see if we can have a reunion."
At 11am on Sunday, May 21, there will be a Commemoration for the Fallen to remember the 20 members of the regiment who were killed in Vietnam.
As Mr Davies reads out each name, pupils from Bermagui Public School will present a flag with the fallen solider's name on it and place it at the war memorial in a holder.
The Commemoration will be followed by the reunion lunch at Bermagui Country Club.
They will come back together over a BBQ the following day.
Painful memories
"We lost 20 men over there but many received injuries from mines or rocket-propelled grenades," Mr Davies said.
He was one of the many who were medevaced to hospital in Vietnam.
Mr Davies was eventually hospitalised in Sydney then Adelaide.
The 3rd Cavalry Regiment served in every major operation conducted by the 1st Australian Task Force including Bien-Hoa, Binh Ba, Coral-Balmoral, Hat Dich and Long Tan.
"They saved the day at Long Tan, they ran over the enemy," Mr Davies said.
The regiment's tasks included inserting, redeploying and extracting troops, acting as an armoured ambulance for medical evacuations, serving as a ready deployment force, protecting convoys and escorts and conducting reconnaissance.
They spent a lot of time in the bush, several weeks at a time, and a helicopter wth a big bladder of diesel would come to them so they could refuel.
"Every night we were in an ambush position," Mr Davies said.
The Viet Cong wore rubber shoes made out of tyres so wherever they found the distinctive footprints on tracks and trails they would set up an ambush.
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