KOKODA veterans have reacted angrily to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's description of himself as "a survivor of the Kokoda Track." About 625 Australian soldiers did not survive the brutal fighting against crack Japanese troops along the 100km long Track during WWII. Speaking at a joint press conference with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill in Port Moresby yesterday Mr Rudd acknowledged that more than 3000 Australians a year followed in the footsteps of the 30,000 diggers who fought a pitched campaign along the Track between July and November 1942 under appalling conditions. Kevin Rudd describes himself as a Kokoda 'survivor' About 1600 were wounded and another 4000...
↧
