Vietnam veteran, former State and Federal MP and long-time veterans’ advocate Graham Edwards AM is marking Vietnam Veterans’ Day by sharing his own remarkable story of war, survival and a life of service in his new memoir, Stone The Bloody Crows.
For Graham Edwards, 18 August is a day that carries deep personal meaning. He was a young Australian soldier serving with the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment in South Vietnam when, on 12 May 1970, he stepped on an anti-personnel land mine. The explosion changed his life in an instant and resulted in the loss of both his legs.
What followed is a story not only of survival, but of a determination to make the most of the life he had been given. Graham went on to become a passionate advocate for veterans and people with disability, serving in both the Western Australian and Federal Parliaments and holding senior roles within the veteran community, including as State President of RSL WA.
Now 80, Graham tells that story in his memoir, Stone The Bloody Crows – from his early years growing up in Western Australia to his service in Vietnam and the challenges of returning home, rebuilding his life, entering politics and a lifetime of advocacy and community service. The book is being published independently and distributed exclusively by Wheelchairs For Kids Australia, where Graham serves as Patron.
The connection is particularly personal for Graham. Having relied on wheelchairs for more than 50 years, he understands better than most the independence, dignity and opportunity that mobility can provide. He has also returned to Vietnam with Wheelchairs For Kids Australia and seen firsthand the difference a properly fitted wheelchair can make to a child and their family.
Vietnam Veterans’ Day is commemorated each year on 18 August, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966, and honours all Australians who served in the Vietnam War. Prime Minister Bob Hawke named August 18 as Vietnam Veterans’ Day in 1987 following a massive “Welcome Home” parade for veterans in Sydney. Graham Edwards was heavily involved in the 1987 “Welcome Home” parade as one of the key organizers who helped make the historic event happen.
At the time, he was a prominent Vietnam veteran, the president of the Western Australian branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia (VVAA), and a newly elected Member of the Western Australian Parliament For Graham, Vietnam Veterans’ Day is an opportunity to reflect on the mates who served, those who did not return, and the very different Australia that awaited Vietnam veterans when they came home.
Stone The Bloody Crows captures those experiences in Graham’s own voice – candid, sometimes confronting, often humorous and shaped by a philosophy of getting on with life rather than allowing adversity to define it.
Graham’s book is available to order online, by phone or by visiting their factory at 10 Buckingham Drive, Wangara weekdays from 8:30am to 2:30pm
ORDER NOW