Vietnam Veteran and Capalaba resident Jim Gable said his mates were at the front of his mind on Anzac Day

WHEN Anzac Day rolls around each year, Jim Gable’s first thought is for his mates that were left behind.

Jim Gable from Cannon Hill RSL shares what Anzac Day means to him. Photo: Paul Guy

WHEN Anzac Day rolls around each year, Jim Gable’s first thought is for the mates left behind.

The Vietnam Veteran, who served in the conflict twice with the RAAF 9 Squadron as a door gunner and defence guard, said his friend, Duncan McNair, was front of his mind each year.

“My first thoughts on Anzac Day are for the people, the mates, who didn’t come home,” Mr Gable said.

“There was only two but that’s what I think about.

“(Duncan McNair) was such a great friend and a terrific guy, and even now, 40 years later, I still miss him.”

The Cannon Hill District and Vietnam Services RSL Sub-Branch president and treasurer said the fond memories of his friend, including sharing a beer and tins of spaghetti after a long day of flying, resurfaced at the unveiling of the Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra 20 years later.

“Our group had its big banner, and we were all standing waiting for the march to start and this incredibly pregnant, young woman came up,” the Capalaba resident said.

“She said ‘I’m looking for Jim Gable’ and I said ‘do I know you?’ and she said ‘no, but you knew my dad, I’m Duncan McNair’s daughter’.

“I just burst into tears.”

Mr Gable, who survived a helicopter crash in his first Vietnam posting, said he also thought about of his father Len, who had served in the Australian Merchant Navy in WWII.

He said while he sustained injuries from the incident, no one was injured, but a rare treat was lost.

“We had six soldiers on board and we had about 20 or 30 kilos of prime rump steak and we were going to have a squadron barbecue that night,” he said.

“The steak was the only casualty.”

Mr Gable, who had served in the army before joining the RAAF, went on to work in various admin roles before becoming the Executive Director of the Bus and Coach Association of Queensland.

He is now the Cannon Hill District and Vietnam Services RSL Sub-Branch president and treasurer and meets with members in Morningside each month.

Originally published as Vietnam Veteran and Capalaba resident Jim Gable said his mates were at the front of his mind on Anzac Day