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THE RAAF DUST-OFF PILOTS HAD NO LIGHT AND SHOWED
GREAT SKILL IN COMING DOWN.
HOBART WAS BRACKETED REPEATEDLY
BY MEDIUM TO LARGE SPLASHES.
SUNRAY WAS DIRECTING THE LIGHTFIRE TEAM
- BUSHRANGERS - FROM HIS POSSUM.
THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY WAS LIKE THE POST-VERSAILLES GERMAN ARMY-MEN
IN THE RANKS COULD HAVE BEEN LEADERS GENERAL WESTMORELAND
THE PART PLAYED BY ARTILLERY WAS DECISIVE.
AUSTRALIA'S LAST COMBAT FORCES LEFT
SOUTH VIETNAM YESTERDAY ON BOARD HMAS SYDNEY, ENDING 10 YEARS
OF AUSTRALIAN INVOLVEMENT IN THE WAR.
WHAT WE DID ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN THE
MORNING WAS ON OUR LIVING ROOM TV SCREENS THAT NIGHT.
OUR FAMILY FOUND ITSELF DIVIDED OVER VIETNAM.
THE NVA HUGGED OUR WITHDRAWAL AND ENGAGED
THE DUST-OFF CHOPPERS.
WE MUST LEARN TO UNDERSTAND NVA BUNKER SIGN - TRACKS: LATRINES, DEAD
BRANCHES, STREAMS.
THE TANKS WENT AHEAD OF THE INFANTRY IN
APC'S.
AS A VARIATION WE CLOSED THE VILLAGE CORDON IN DAYLIGHT
AND SEARCHED NEXT MORNING.
THE EFFORT REQUIRED OF NURSING SISTERS
INDICATES THEIR TOUR OF DUTY SHOULD BE REDUCED
THE ENEMY JOINED OUR COMMAND RADIO NET,
THREW COLOURED SMOKE AND ALMOST SUCKED THE CO INTO A LANDING.
BIG CONTACT TONIGHT IN THE BINH BA RUBBER.
TROOPS HIT WITH RPG'S. READY REACTION FORCE WENT OUT IN APC'S.
AN EXTREME EFFORT WAS DEMANDED FROM
NURSING STAFF ON THOSE OCCASIONS
- OVER 24 HOURS ON DUTY WAS DONE ON MOST OF THE DAYS MENTIONED.
NOBODY'S GOT 365 DAYS AND A WAKEY TO GO.
PERTH ENGAGED FIVE C D SITES AS
PRIMARY TARGETS, PROVIDED SUPPRESSION FIRE AND STOPPED A CROSS LOT ON
HON ME ISLAND FROM RADIATING.
THE TEAM.
THE DECISION TO SEND AN AUSTRALIAN
BATTALION TO VIETNAM IS A GRAVE ONE. THESE ARE
INESCAPABLE OBLIGATIONS WHICH FALL ON US BECAUSE OF OUR POSITION,
TREATIES AND FRIENDSHIP.
THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO RESPOND AS WE HAVE.
MAGPIE 35, HIT MY SMOKE.
I DON'T SEEM TO HAVE MANY FRIENDS SINCE
I CAME HOME. IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND.
CONTACT - STAND BY DUST OFF.
FROM 1965 ARMY UNITS IN VIETNAM
CONSISTED OF ABOUT 50% NATIONAL SERVICEMEN AND 50% REGULAR ARMY.
ABOUT 200,000 NATIONAL SERVICEMEN SERVED
IN VIETNAM.
MORE THAN EVER BEFORE TV SHOWED THE TERRIBLE
HUMAN SUFFERING AND SACRIFICE OF WAR. RICHARD NIXON.
THEN SOMEONE CALLED OUT 'CONTACT!'
AND THE BLOKE BEHIND ME SWORE
WE HOOKED IN THERE FOR HOURS, THEN A GOD - ALMIGHTY ROAR
FRANKIE
KICKED A MINE, THE DAY THAT MANKIND KICKED THE MOON
GOD HELP ME, HE WAS GOING HOME IN JUNE
THIS IS PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON IN YOUR
LOCATION.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MODERN HISTORY THE OUTCOME OF
WAR WAS DETERMINED NOT ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT ON THE TV SCREEN.
LIKE CHICKEN MAN - THERE WERE CHARLIES
EVERYWHERE!
MORE THAN 750,000 MEN TURNED TWENTY
DURING THE YEARS OF THE WAR - A BALLOT, WITH MARBLES SPUN IN A
BARREL, WAS USED TO HELP SELECT THOSE FOR
CONSCRIPTION.
THROW SMOKE! - I SEE GREEN - AFFIRMATIVE!
AT VAMPIRE PAD OUR OWN DOCTORS AND NURSES TOOK
OVER - WE KNEW WE HAD MADE IT.
PHANTOMS AND SPOOKY WERE INVALUABLE, BUT
THE HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS GAVE THE BEST AIR SUPPORT.
ON 3 OCTOBER 1987, 25,000 VIETNAM VETERANS
MARCHED IN A WELCOME HOME PARADE THROUGH SYDNEY, TO THE CHEERS OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS. IT WAS THE GREATEST EMOTIONAL OUTPOURING
WITNESSED IN DECADES.
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