The Vietnam Era

CharlieS · **Posted:** Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:33 am

Ned!
people who live in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones! [-X

Seejay · **Posted:** Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:37 am

Throw Stones? Who threw Stones? I'd like to shake the man's hand. :finga:

Oh, sorry.... jumped the gun a bit there.....

Cheers

CJ

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Sat Oct 16, 2004 8:34 pm

Pick me, pick me. :axe:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:31 am

Nah, been done already... [-X

I think starting up RAN Skilled Hands threw Stones...!!! :-#

Wayne · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:36 am

This is the best thread that ever happened.

Thanks

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:43 am

Thank SeeJay for it Wayne, :thumbright:

but enough Throne Stowing, [-X

or Members will think we've lost 'The Plot'... :-k

...as much fun as it is, $\:D/$ we'd better get back onto the Topic at hand,

The Vietnam Era... :rip:

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I joined the RAN in July 1962, the year Australia first committed our military forces to the Vietnam War, and left the Navy 12 years later, in July 1974, after all of our servicemen and women were safely back at home... :thumbright:

Therefore, The Vietnam Era and the events which took place during that time, for me spanned my entire naval career, from the age of 15 years and 9 months, to when I paid off just 3 months short of my 28th birthday, memories of that period for me were also memories of my time in the Navy, experiences of that moulded the rest of my life... :roll:

And yet apart from farewelling friends headed to the conflict, and the eventual anti-war demonstrations, life as I remember it was pretty good... it didn't 'feel' like we were at war... it was somewhat remote from life in Australia... :-k

Two an a half years of my time was spent in HMAS Tarangau, on Manus Island, Territory of Papua New Guinea, the forward communications and refuelling base for our fleet heading to and from Vietnam, on reflection, an idealic life in an island paradise, spoiled only by the occasional internal confrontation, jogging you back to reallity that we really were in the Navy, and that Australia was at war...

In those days, if a Chippy wasn't already on one of the ships regularly rotating for deployment to the front, or on the converted aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney, now the troop transport affectionately known as the Vun Tau Ferry, the best way to 'get your piece of the action' was to volunteer for the Advanced Welding Course, almost guaranteeing a posting to one of our three DDG's, Perth, Hobart or Brisbane, one of which was virtually always on the gun line... :thumbright:

By the time I got onto the course, and was posted to HMAS Brisbane, (the next DDG scheduled to deploy to Vietnam,) our then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, 'pulled the pin' and withdrew Australia from the conflict... effectively meaning that I never saw 'active duty' during my naval career, which coincidentally spanned the entire Vietnam involvement, and something I'm reminded of every Anzac Day...

tafmo · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 2:58 am

bobcat wrote:

(Psst ... she would have had to be high to write this one hit wonder.) Catchy tune and clip though ...

Everything you never wanted to know about Toni Basil (the kind of herb you wouldn't mind decorating your kitchen table :twisted:

)...................

Born Antonia Christina Basilotta (also known as itsa lotta basil) on 22 September 1943 (which means she’s an old fart because she’s older than me), in Philadelphia.

She began her career as a dancer and choreographer, working on shows like, ‘Village of the Giants’, The Cool Ones, ‘American Graffiti’, ‘The Rose’ and ‘Legally Blonde’. She appeared in a number of films including the afore-mentioned ‘Easy Rider’, ‘Mother Jugs and Speed’, Five Easy Pieces’ and ‘Rockula’. She also had a number of TV appearances, including ‘Baywatch’, but of course never looked anywhere near as delicious as that gorgeous Baywatch chick, Erika Eleniak (who also made that spectacular entrance fro the cake in 'Under Seige' :heart:

)

Toni launched her music career with her first album "Word of Mouth" in 1981, which was released both as a record and a video, and included a track called "Mickey" which became a hit all over the world, and topped the American music charts in December 1982.

She was the head cheerleader (Ok, settle down guys; I’m wondering exactly what that means myself :twisted:

) at Las Vegas High School and wore her actual varsity uniform from those days in the "Mickey" video.

Her video for the single "Mickey" was the first to incorporate synchronized dancing. The opening stunt, where a cheerleader jumps through the center of a human pyramid, is now illegal in competition.

She also formed the popular breakdancing group, The Lockers, in the 1970s. Fred Berry, who played Rerun in ‘What's Happening!!’, was a member of the group.

Go Mickey!

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:42 am

So what was 'The Vietnam Era' to me...?

Initially, it was 4 years at Bonehead College, HMAS Nirimba, the Royal Australian Navy Apprentice Training Establisment, learning the facts of life and how to survive in the testosterone charged environment with 500 other 15 to 20 year old Naval Artificer Apprentices, supposedly learning a trade, but in reallity all trying to establish themselves as men... :violent1:

Much has been written on life at Nirimba in numerous other topics on the forum, so it's more the social life outside the gates that was to mould a young MOBI's social standing, when he learned about wine, women and song... (or rum, bum and gramaphone records if you were Tafmo...) :butthead:

It still amazes me how much mischief we got up to on £12.00 a fortnight...!!! :-k

What I didn't spend on women, I spent on music, which probably accounts for why I never had a car at Nirimba...

So The Vietnam Era for me was stamped with the vivid memories of the music of the day; in Nirimba days, The Troggs, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Little Patty, Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, then after graduating, The Who, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, even a bit of C&W Johhny Cash, Marty Robbins... :rock:

By the time I got to New Guinea, I was already into The Mamas and Pappas, Glen Campbell, Dianna Ross and The Supremes, when Pedro Lomas intoduced me to Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin, Steppenwolf, The Doors, Chicago,, The Police, and many others... :supz:

Visiting US warships added to my appreciation of the time with cassettes of Sly and The Family Stone, Boz Scaggs, Woodstock, The Doobie Brothers, etc.... :hippy2:

Around the same time, the era was indelibly marked with the resurgence of musicals, such as Paint your Waggon and The Sound of Music, Caberet and The Rocky Horror Show, along with fantastic 'era' soundtracks on great movies like Appocalypse Now and Easy Rider, and then there were the truly memorable rock operas of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, Tommy, etc... :finga:

A little later were the classic albums, Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night Fever, and all of the Chicago Albums... $\:D/$

Music, for me at least, really served to pinpoint one's memories, the milestones of The Vietnam Era... :partyman:

Berky · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:45 am

Bob,,,,
"Erika Eleniak (who also made that spectacular entrance from the cake in 'Under Seige"

Mate,,,you tryin to give me another heart attack??? :heart:

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:05 am

I've got a few other singers names to jog the memories of the 60's. #-o

How about, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Turtles, The Box Tops, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Freddie & The Dreamers, Dion and last but not least, Del Shannon.

I still remember their music like it was yesterday. :rock:

The Vietnam Era

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