Entrepreneur Dick Smith today donated $A1 million towards a memorial to Vietnam veterans at the Australian War Memorial, saying he felt obliged to recognise those who had fought for their country.
Mr Smith and his wife, Pip, made the donation for a yet-to-be-built Iroquois helicopter display that will be housed at the Australian War Memorial.
He said he believed the donation was an obligation in recognition of Australia's Vietnam veterans.
"I won the lottery of life," he said.
"I was born in 1944, which meant I was too young for the Korean War and too old for the Vietnam War, and I admire people who went off to fight for Australia and I don't think they've had adequate recognition," Mr Smith said.
"I've been able to do something, which I think is an obligation, and that is make a donation which is going to give due recognition to our Vietnam veterans."
Mr Smith said he had discussed his donation with the war memorial and the Vietnam Veterans' Association, which had advised him how to make best use of the money.
The display would show an Iroquois helicopter landing under fire at night and would be highly emotive, he said.
"The million dollars is going to be spent on an incredible display of an Iroquois helicopter doing what they call a hot insertion – landing troops in the jungle at night under fire.
"And so people will go in and see this display, there'll be obviously not live ammunition going off but it will be as if it is, and they'll see the incredible risk."
Mr Smith said he supported the Iraq War and believed the Australian government's intentions were good.
"My stance is that, because our serviceman and women are over there at the moment, I support them," he said.
"And I think our intentions are good with Iraq, history will say whether we've succeeded or not, but I think the intentions are good, and while our servicemen are there under government directions I'll never criticise them."
Australian War Memorial director Steve Gower said the centre needed donations like Mr Smith's to produce outstanding displays.
"The government's been very generous in supporting the war memorial but to really produce outstanding galleries you need support from the private and public sector," he said.