Francis Akati Simeni, 90, Len Griffiths, 90 and Dickson Hango, 90 at the Kokoda Memorial to mark the day the Australian flag was raised in 1942. Picture: Stephen Cooper Source: News Limited
VETERANS of the Kokoda campaign have been backed by Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare in their battle against historians who argue their exploits are overstated and that Japan never intended to invade Australia.
"The men who died here were fighting to defend their homes, their families and their country," Mr Clare told a large crowd of veterans, locals and trekkers in Kokoda village yesterday.
The debate about the importance of Kokoda was sparked recently by military historian Professor David Horner, who said the Japanese never intended to invade and the Kokoda veterans just wanted to be elevated to the same status as the Anzacs.
Mr Clare said it was because of the actions of the 12 veterans who joined him at Kokoda and the thousands of Diggers who fought and died in brutal conditions along the Kokoda Track that we will never know the true answer.
He said it was the first time the Japanese army had been beaten and no one knows what would have happened had they actually taken Port Moresby.
"It was the first time Australians were fighting to defend themselves," he said.
Mr Clare received strong applause from the veteran contingent, which included Bede Tongs MM, who won his military medal when he took out en enemy machine gun at Templetons Crossing.
"They didnt invade Australia because they were defeated," Mr Tongs said.
He said he was in Hiroshima in 1953 and a Japanese man who was a Sergeant in the Pacific campaign told him straight out that Japan intended to take Australia.
"Those who don't believe it should stand in the middle of Bomana Cemetery and tell those blokes," Mr Tongs said.
More than 2000 Australians lie in the beautiful Commonwealth War Graves cemetery outside the PNG capital.
Bill Stuart fought with the legendary 39th militia battalion on the Kokoda Track and he bluntly dismisses talk about the Japanese not planning to invade as "bullshit".
Mr Stuart, who also fought with the 2nd/2nd at the battle of Eora Creek, said he and his mates were in New Guinea fighting for Australia.
"I was also fighting for my mother and my sister," he said.
Ken Kell, from Forster in NSW, who fought with the 2/1st Field Regiment, said he had no doubt that invasion was on the minds of the Japanese.
"Their aim was take Port Moresby and from there to invade Australia," Mr Kell said.
"Unfortunately we don't have any of our good commanders like (Major General George Alan) Vasey alive to argue the point with these academics."
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said he had no doubt the threat to Australia from Japan was real.
"Especially in the minds of those who faced the enemy in battle, which is the only view that counts," he said.
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