Date Time Robert honouring mates and uncles on ANZAC Day A Hervey Bay man who served in the Vietnam War will pay tribute to fallen military personnel – including his two uncles – on ANZAC Day. Robert Symonds commenced his defence force career half a century ago at the age of 22. Carinity Home Care client Robert Symons served in the New Zealand Air Force during the Vietnam War. He served in the New Zealand Air Force for 19 years and during that time was based at all the military bases in that country. At the end of the Vietnam War in the early-1970s he was stationed in Singapore for three years.