Why did it take so long for the Vietnamese Veterans to be recognized in Australia?

When the Vietnam soldiers returned from war, they did not receive a warm and friendly welcome. They were targeted by anti-war protesters as being the enemy. They claimed that they were evil and wrong to fight in a war, which they thought was useless, and none of Australia's business. They thought that all Australia was doing was following America into war. The public all witnessed the daily footage of the war, horrible images of dead women and children, homes being destroyed and the battles themselves. Soldiers were spat on, criticized and rejected.
"We often felt betrayed by Australian s…