It's been nearly 50 years since Jeff Fredrick, Richard Anderson, Noel Ryan and Allan Cunningham met in Vietnam, and on Wednesday they all reunited.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The four were in the third Battalion and left from Woodside in South Australia.
Every year, Mr Fredrick, Mr Anderson and Mr Ryan meet and attend a different Anzac Day service. This year they're in Tasmania.
They spend a week in the area, drink a few beers, tell stories and eat a lot of toasted sandwiches.
Mr Cunningham said it was amazing to be able to catch up with the trio nearly five decades later.
"It's pretty hard for me to cross that bit of water to see them," he said.
Mr Ryan said there was a lot to catch up on.
"It's only the first beer, so we've got a while to go yet," he said.
The trio have been meeting annually since about 2001.
"Years ago I was living in Logan and used to go around to the RSL there ... Jeff just lived about 10 minutes away ... then I got a knock on the door one day and these guys just turned up," he said.
Mr Anderson said he met Mr Fredrick because he came knocking on his door, too.
"There is a Noel Patrick Ryan with the same date of birth living in Forester, I had the ability in those days to find just about anyone in Australia - I used to be a customs officer. So I rang his daughter and she said it wasn't her dad," Mr Fredrick said.
"So I started looking around Australia again and there was a Noel Patrick Ryan in Maryborough with the same date of birth.
"So I rang him and said 'Noel?' and he said 'yeah?' and said 'did you serve in Vietnam in 1971 with three battalion? and he said 'yes?' ... he thought I was after his pension. I said my name and it was okay then."
Mr Ryan said Maryborough has not been the same since the trio met.
"They caught the train up to meet. They had to stop on the way and get more beer. We've had two [Anzac Days] there since and they always look forward to the guys coming back," he said.
Over the years the trio have caught up with as many veterans as they could.
The trio will attend the Sorell Anzac Day ceremony.