The Vietnam Era

Norm Noack · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:49 am

I fully agree with you Ned and also have not found any issues about Vietnam. As a matter of fact I have only ever found support and interest in our involvement in that "war". I have never come across any individuals who have expressed anything other than support. Like you Ned, I believe that the bad old days of maltreatment of Vietnam Vets has turned 180 degrees.

I too have only been involved in Anzac Days, reunions and Memorial days, etc and have found, particularly in Perth on Anzac Days, that the support is growing with younger families showing their thanks and gratitude which really kinda makes you feel all warm and fuzzy deep inside. It certainly makes me feel proud of my Naval career and achievements.

I also have received nothing but support and assistance from VVA, VVF and DVA all of whom I am dealing with at the moment.

I remember a year or so ago talking to a group of young sailors, male and female at a family function in Rockingham, WA who were very interested in what "our" Navy was all about and what it was like to be in a real shooting war and actually firing the guns at the enemy off Vietnam.

They were suitably impressed, I must be a good story teller helped along by a couple of dozen bevvies.

Seejay · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 11:04 am

I tend to agree about the public perception. It has improved drastically over the past 40 years.

But let me qualify my previous post.

I'm glad that you blokes have had good experiences dealing with DVA. I didn't, and I know so many others that shared my experiences, one of whom shot himself in Cairns about ten years ago mainly due to their treatment of him. I have found them to be obstructionist, back-stabbing, double dealing, and a bunch of other descriptions that are unprintable.

The same attitude also still exists within James Cook University. I helped a young woman up here who was doing her thesis on the effects of the war on Vietnam Vets. Her study also included the effects caused by the disgusting treatment meted out to Vets on and after their return. Part of that focussed on the active campaigns run by the Labor Party, the unions, and the universities.

Whilst other students were allowed access to photocopying, stationery, library interchange and university research resources, she was not. Every assistance request was denied, and it was suggested that her thesis should be changed to something more 'acceptable'.

It took my intervention with my federal member, his subsequent contact with said university for things to do a complete reversal.

So the basic tenets held by the arseholes way back then seem to continue.

Happily, the arseholes appear to be dying off and are being replaced by people who think before they act as sheep for the various mongrel factions. Just not fast enough............

Norm Noack · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 12:20 pm

Sorry to hear about your experiences Chris, fortunately I have not had much to do with Universities which appear to be a repository of radicals as I believe Uni students made up about 90% of the moratorium marches along with rent-a-crowds in the 60s and 70s. They were also the main aggressors when it came to the troops returning after their deployments.

Before anyone jumps on my case here, I am fully aware that the Uni students were not only up in arms (pardon the pun) about the country even being involved in Vietnam but they just happened to be in the age range for conscription.

As I said in my last post, my dealings with DVA through the VVF at Nerang in Queensland could not be any fairer or better. I can only hope that this continues. I have been told some horror stories about many vet's dealings with DVA and thankfully this has not happened to me to date.

Seejay · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:08 pm

I agree about the VVF at Nerang, Norm! I managed to get Peter Cottam in to see them some years ago, successfully as well.

I think we all agree that the uni students had their own agendas. It's bloody annoying that they never admitted to their hand in the losof so many blokes after the war was finished.

But, some of us get even in whatever ways we can......... :twisted:

I can remember surprising a number of doctors during the claims process when I interrogated them about where they'd gotten their degrees and when!

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Sun Aug 15, 2010 6:55 pm

Bill Krause has found a US mini-docco about HMAS Perth on the gunline
in Vietnam on her second deployment, from September 1968 to April 1969...

Click on the picture of :type:

HMAS Perth below and you'll be taken to the
RAN's Official Website and the documentary video... :shock:

(Once on the RAN Website, click on the video, not the URL above the video,
which would take you to the history of HMAS Perth...) :evil3:

Interesting to note her Vietnam era 'D38' as opposed to her later plain '38'... :-k

The droll, monotonous commentary is straight out of 'Good Morning Vietnam'... :lol:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 5:39 pm

BC sent in a clip a few weeks back, a slideshow of sorts, with a Long Tan Day theme, which I'd hoped to find in YouTube, but was unable to... #-o

With Long Tan Day almost upon us, I thought I'd share a few other videos which recall the era... :salute:

I Was Only Nineteen - Redgum... :singing:

Australians at War. Battle of Long Tan. pt. 1

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Australians at War. Battle of Long Tan. pt. 2

"The newly arrived 1st Australian Task Force established its Phuoc Tuy operations base in 1966 at Nui Dat, a piece of high ground surrounded by rubber plantations. The Viet Cong had achieved dominion in the province and decided to inflict a politically unacceptable defeat on the Australians. Their plan was to lure the Australians from their base by firing recoilless rifle and mortar shells into it. They theorised that the Australians would sweep the area around the base in an attempt to stop the attacks, and the Viet Cong would ambush the sweeping forces. On the night of 16/17 August 1966, the Viet Cong fired a barrage of shells into Nui Dat, wounding 24 Australians. Prior to this event, the Australians had become aware, from radio intercepts and sightings, that a large enemy force was operating close to the base. Australian patrols sent out specifically to find the Viet Cong had not encountered the force. On 18 August 1966 D Company of 6RAR was patrolling in the area of the Long Tan rubber plantation when, at about 3.15pm, the lead platoon (11 Platoon, commanded by 2Lt Gordon Sharp, a national serviceman) encountered a small group of Viet Cong who fled leaving one of their number killed by the Australians. The aggressive patrolling continued until, at about 4.08pm, the main body of the Viet Cong 275 Regiment was encountered. The Viet Cong attacked vigorously with mortars, rifle and machine gun fire. In pouring rain, the Australians returned fire with platoon weapons and artillery which was firing from the Nui Dat base, some five kilometres to the west. Close air support was also called for but couldn't be used because the target was unable to be identified accurately in the conditions. At 5pm D Company's commander, Major Harry Smith, radioed for ammunition resupply. Two RAAF Iroquois helicopters which happened to be at Nui Dat to transport a concert party were tasked and flew at tree top level into the battle area where they successfully delivered the sorely needed boxes of ammunition. They did so mounted in armoured personnel carriers from 1st APC Squadron which forded a flooded stream and then shortly afterward encountered a substantial enemy force. 2 Platoon of A Company dismounted and advanced on the enemy who fled. Although the Viet Cong could still be seen massing in failing light at 6.55pm as the relief force arrived in the D Company area, the enemy force melted away as darkness descended. The battle of Long Tan was over. The Australians consolidated their position for the night and then commenced evacuation of their wounded using the lights from APCs to guide in helicopters. During the night the Viet Cong cleared many of their wounded and dead from the battle field. A number of the wounded Australians lay there all through the long terrifying night, as the Viet Cong moved around them. Morning revealed that the Viet Cong force, estimated at 2,500, had been badly mauled. 245 Viet Cong bodies were found in the battle area. It was apparent that the Viet Cong commanders had failed to appreciate the effectiveness of artillery fire and had paid dearly as a result. The Australians had lost 18 killed, 17 from D Company (including the young platoon commander of 11 platoon) and one from 1st APC Squadron, and 24 wounded."

Here's another (earlier and more detailed) documentary on the events at Long Tan...

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The Battle of Long Tan--Part 1

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The Battle of Long Tan--Part 2

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The Battle of Long Tan--Part 3

"The battle is as legendary in Anzac military history as Gallipoli, Tobruk and Kokoda.

In Australia the story is revered by military historians and those who fought but in New Zealand it is virtually forgotten.

Morrie Stanley was one of the three Kiwis involved on August 18, 1966 - a day he says he will never forget.

"It was chaos, it was turmoil, it was violent - constant violent thunderstorms and gunfire for maybe three hours."

Facing 2,500 Viet Cong soldiers, Stanley, two other Kiwis and 105 Brave Australians won the battle of Long Tan. Up to 800 Vietnamese were killed along with 18 Australians. There may have been far more deaths if Stanley - a forward observer - had not directed shells with deadly accuracy.
Stanley's team were called on to protect the Australian soldiers in the midst of the fighting - firing 180 rounds nonstop over two and a half hours and driving back the approximate 2500 strong Viet Cong forces.

Battle of long Tan Documentary director Damien Lay says although only a small number of New Zealanders were involved they played a huge part in the battle.

"It was just frightening how they turned the tide of this battle - it would have been a very different outcome if it weren't for the New Zealanders," says Lay.

Granted that the artillery controlled by Morrie Stanley was effective beyond expectation but it is worth remembering that it was his training and his coolness under fire that allowed Morrie Stanley to carry out his role to the high degree of mastery he displayed. And Harry Smith too must be included for his faultless leadership, along with that of his various platoon staff. And there can be no doubt that the APC's late in the day saved D Coy from many more casualties.
Long Tan is the enduring battle of Vietnam and the one that captures the imagination of both civilians and soldiers alike.
The loss of 18 young men in three hours is an indication of the strength of purpose of the North Vietnamese and the grim determination of the Brave Australians.

Posted for Morrie Stanley and those Brave Aussies..we call our Mates.
ANZAC...Lest we forget" [-o<

Justice and recognition long, long overdue...

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Medals Awarded for Long Tan - Ten News - 14 Aug 2008

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Medals Awarded for Long Tan - ABC News - 14 Aug 2008

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Citation Awarded for Long Tan - Three News NZ - 29 May 2010

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A moving presentaion to (dying) KIWI, Morrie Stanley...

Seejay · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 6:02 pm

I believe the concert party that was at Nui Dat on the day included Normie Rowe. Poor bugger was back there again within a couple of years.

What is not widely known is that the Australian Government had to pay a fine for each of the rubber trees damaged or destroyed during whatever fighting took place in the plantations.

sbjohns · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:11 pm

Seejay wrote:

I believe the concert party that was at Nui Dat on the day included Normie Rowe. Poor bugger was back there again within a couple of years.

What is not widely known is that the Australian Government had to pay a fine for each of the rubber trees damaged or destroyed during whatever fighting took place in the plantations.

Hopefully only the ones with 7.62mm holes! :shock:

Seejay · **Posted:** Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:15 pm

Nope, all of 'em Steve! :roll:

If they (farmers) demanded money from the blokes in black pyjamas they tended to die early.....

And the other side used 7.62 as well. :wink:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu Aug 19, 2010 2:37 pm

Good to see some other :type:

awards from the Battle of Long Tan have just been upgraded... :thumbright:

Bordering on criminal that they had to wait 44 years... [-(

The Vietnam Era

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