Current (Aug 2008):
The 42-year-old old issue of the downgraded Long Tan awards has (finally) been partially resolved.  On 14 Aug 2008, the government approved three medals to replace those downgraded in 1966, approved the South Vietnamese CGCP citation for wearing by Delta Company, 6RAR, and referred all other downgraded or struck-out awards for Long Tan in 1966 to the government's new Honours & Awards Tribunal.

The three medals approved are:
For the Company Commander, Harry Smith, who was recommended for a DSO but was downgraded to an MC. a Star of Gallantry (SG);
For the two surviving Platoon Commanders, Geoff Kendall of 10 Platoon and myself of 12 Platoon, who were recommended for MCs but were downgraded to MIDs, a Medal for Gallantry (MG) each.

Other awards recommended at the time but downgraded or struck out will be reviewed by the Tribunal.  Time will tell.....

Proposed film of the Battle of Long Tan:
Status 5 Sept 2008 - We have been told by Producer Martin Walsh of Red Dune Films that the scripts presented so far have not been acceptable, so other writers are being engaged.  Proposed Director, Bruce Beresford, has recently completed his latest film - Mao's Last Dancer - and is expected to start work on the Long Tan project, including part-writing the script.  The first hurdle is a script. The Commanders have not yet seen a script so cannot comment on scope, accuracy etc.

In 2005, I wrote a pseudo-screenplay about the battle - meaning that it only served to put the right people in the right events in the right sequence. It was intended to guide the final screenplay writer in the detail of the battle.  Both Martin and Bruce have read it but it will not be the script used.  However, for the exercise, I have since developed it into a workable film script in the genre of a dramatised documentary (Docudrama).  I will offer it as an alternative should a Bruce Beresford or other script not get a thumbs-up from the Commanders, who have said they want to see an accurate portrayal of the Long Tan story.

Martin's timeframes have once again been revised to: screenplay & revisions through the first half of 2008, then the attachment of cast, crew and finance.  Pre-production and filming will hopefully start later in 2008 and flow into 2009.  Post-production in 2009 and - with any luck - release in mid-to-late 2009?

The book option with the Commanders expires in April 2009 so, if this production is not well under way by then, and if all the Commanders do not agree to extend it (again), alternative Long Tan film projects may appear.

Another interesting project:
On the home page there is a link to a Powerpoint presentation on Long Tan which can be downloaded free.  It's made to work on the PC version of Powerpoint, 2003 or later.  It's fairly large, but is 50 slides long and each slide is animated.  No sound, though.

It's being distributed free.  It should be of interest to school projects, military history buffs, serving military members and just for general interest.