Blog, Featured, Stories - April 21, 2026
Vietnam veteran finding peace after war
After almost 60 years, Dick Kennedy still lives with memories of the Vietnam War.
There are moments he can recall vividly — the day a fuel stove exploded, engulfing him in flames, or the long hours spent hiding in the jungle as mortar shells flew by, unsure if he would survive.
And then there are the memories he still can’t speak about.
For decades, like many veterans, Dick kept it all to himself.
“We didn’t talk about it back then. You just kept it to yourself,” he said.
“But I’ve learned it’s better to talk about things. Don’t bottle it up.”
Pictured: Dick with Intereach aged care worker Annie who helps him stay independent at home.
Now an Intereach aged care client living in Albury, Dick is sharing his story ahead of ANZAC Day in the hope it encourages other veterans to do the same.
Dick was conscripted for National Service in 1967 while working as a bank officer in central west NSW.
He was sent to Kapooka for recruit training — a confronting shift into a highly disciplined life.
“It was very regimented,” he said.
“You quickly learn the Army way, not your way. But you also learn to rely on each other.”
Pictured: Dick in Nui Dat marking his final day of service.
He was assigned to the Army Catering Corps and deployed to Vietnam in May 1968 with the 17th Construction Squadron.
For 298 days, Dick served as a cook, working both on base and out in the field.
It was during one of those shifts that a fuel stove he was refuelling exploded.
“It was 120 pounds of fuel, burning up in the air all over me. I only had a pair of shorts on — my head, face, stomach and legs were all burnt,” he said.
“I still have flashbacks of the fuel tank cap going past my head.”
Pictured: Dick during his service in Nui Dat.
He spent weeks in hospital recovering.
It wasn’t his only close call.
During his final operation in the north, a mortar attack left an unexploded round just metres from his squadron.
“If that had gone off, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you now,” he said.
“Everyone who was there had their moments.”
Returning home brought relief — but not peace.
“I went back to the bank, but I couldn’t settle for a long time. I had a really bad time in the ’90s.”
Over the years, Dick worked across finance and business before settling in Albury with his late wife, Libby.
Married in 1970, the couple built a life together while raising four sons.
“She was a marvellous woman,” Dick said.
“She was a nurse and stood by me through everything.”
Libby died in 2023 after living with Alzheimer’s disease — a loss Dick feels deeply.
He credits her, along with psychiatric counselling, for helping him navigate the long-term impacts of post-traumatic stress.
Today, Dick receives support through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Intereach aged care services, helping him remain independent in the home he loves.
“It’s very important that I stay here. This is my home,” Dick said.
Dick is able to live the life he chooses thanks to the help of Intereach aged care services and support worker Annie.
From practical help around the house to support during Libby’s illness, those services have made daily life more manageable — and helped him stay connected.
Community has been another constant.
Dick has spent decades volunteering with Albury Legacy, supporting veterans’ families through fundraising and leadership roles, including serving as local president and on the board of Legacy Australia.
On ANZAC Day, he will once again march — this time alongside a close friend he served with.
“ANZAC Day is about remembering the ones who didn’t come home. Not just Vietnam — all conflicts,” Dick said.
Pictured: Dick was at Luscombe Bowl, Nui Dat, on Christmas Day 1969.
After a lifetime shaped by service, hardship and resilience, Dick’s message is simple.
“Be open and talk about things that are worrying you,” he said.
“And be kind to everybody.”
This Anzac Day, Intereach remembers the fallen, and supports the living.
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