Index, notes, p.231.non-fictionWhy everything you think you know about Australia's Vietnam War is wrong. When Mark Dapin first interviewed Vietnam veterans and wrote about the war, he swallowed (and regurgitated) every misconception. He wasn't alone. In Australia's Vietnam, Dapin reveals that every stage of Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War has been misunderstood, misinterpreted and shrouded in myth. From army claims that every national serviceman was a volunteer; and the level of atrocities committed by Australian troops; to the belief there were no welcome home parades until the late 1980s and returned soldiers were met by angry protesters. Australia's Vietnam is a major contribution to the understanding of Australia's experience of the war and will change the way we think about memory and military history.vietnam war 1961-1975 – australian involvement, vietnam war 1961-1975 – history

Index, notes, ill, p.601.non-fictionTake a journey back to the front line with two Australian veterans as they retrace the footsteps of soldiers and politicians, villagers and the enemy in a meticulously researched new history of the Vietnam War. Thirty years after the end of the Vietnam war comes an objective analysis of Australia's involvement. The book shows the extent of Australia's engagement in the Vietnam war and its contribution compared to its allies. "For Australians, Vietnam remains one of the most difficult-and controversial-wars we have fought. On the fiftieth anniversary of Australia's first involvement comes Vietnam: the complete story of the Australian war, for anyone who wishes to understand why Australia went to war, and who wants to make sense of the intensely unrelenting warfare. For Bruce Davies and Gary McKay, the history of Vietnam-its wars, colonial domination, its search for freedom and its subsequent loss-speaks to an Australian anxiety of a very small population far away from the centre of an empire to which it was firmly committed. The rise of Japan, the war in the Pacific and the postcolonial independence of the peoples of southeast Asia, coupled with the mercurial influence of Ho Chi Minh and the rise of communism, form the background to the commitment of Australian forces. Vietnam takes the reader to the front line, describing the experiences of soldier, politician, villager, enemy; and into the war room to unpick the military and political strategies. We see the challenges the Australians faced against not only a dogged enemy, but also those by the allies in the quest to defeat a powerful counterinsurgency. ... Meticulously researched and marked with acute critical analysis and a deep understanding of the place and the war, Vietnam shows the experience of Australian soldiers as never before.vietnam war 1961-1975 – history, vietnam war 1961-1975 – australian involvement

p.303.non-fictionIn this intensely personal account, Barry Heard draws on his own experiences as a young conscript, along with those of his comrades to look back at life before, during, and after the Vietnam War. The result is a sympathetic vision of a group of young men who were sent off to war completely unprepared for the emotional and psychological impact it would have on them. It is also a vivid and searingly honest portrayal of the author's post-war, slow-motion breakdown, and how he dealt with it.vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections – australia, vietnam war 1961-1975 – australian involvement

Ill, p.464.non-fictionFifty years after they served Australia in the Vietnam War, sixteen veterans of that conflict from the Yarra Valley sat down with the Mt Evelyn RSL's historian and revealed, some for the first time, their wartime experiences.Their stories tell of our nation's involvement in Vietnam and spans the period 1964 to 1972. They served with the Navy, with the Regular Army, with the CMF and as National Servicemen. Their backgrounds varied as much as their experiences 'in country' during that time.It is a story of sacrifice and endurance, bravery and loss, good times and bad times. It reveals the environment they were forced to exist in and the role they played, from the mundane to the terrifying.Surviving all of this they then returned home to a nation where many people ignored or even condemned them. For most, those decades after the war were an ongoing battle to deal with the physical and mental scars.vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections – australia, veterans - victoria - yarra valley - biography

Ill, maps, p.246Inverviews with over 100 veterans of the Vietnam War.vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections – australia, vietnam war 1961-1975 – australian involvement

Index, bib, ill, p.241.non-fictionIn 1968, in the western jungle of Vietnam near Laos, a Special Forces Company, under the command of an Australian Army Captain, supported by a Marine artillery detachment, occupied an old French fort, on a hill known as Ngok Tavak. The circumstances of the battle that ensued, and the subsequent retreat from Ngok Tavak, left in their wake issues that cried out for resolution for decades after the event. A number of American bodies were left where they had fallen during the battle, and another American, the nephew of Katharine Hepburn, went missing. After speaking extensively to the battle survivors and loved ones of the American warriors, and searching through accounts from official reports that included Vietnamese documents, eyewitness statements and war diaries, Bruce Davies has pieced together the evidence that will bring resolution to the questions that still haunt many of those connected to the battle. A story that needed to be told for the veterans who survived and for those who did not, for their families and for the sake of history. Lieutenant Colonel Brian Cooper (Retd), Australian Infantry, South Vietnam 1971-72vietnam - history 1945-1975, vietnam - special forces

This item is from the Vietnam war era. It was created as light relief for families of veterans due to return home from overseasThis document shows the larrican attitude of Australian soldiers ready to return home from hazadous overseas service.An A4 document from the Vietnam era giving a humourous angle on how to rehabilitate a Vietnam veteran guided at the family of the veteran. It has paragraphs numbered 1 to 16vietnam, document

A collection of five Newspapers, Official Commerorative Booklet for Opening of the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial on the 3rd October 1992newspaper, welcome home parade

Wing Commander John Downing's RAAF jacket and pants - Blue wool jacket with Wing Commander Epaulets. Australia top of each sleeve embroided RAAF Epaulets with Vietnam ribbon on left chest. (Plain blue trousers with broken fly in Box 1188)john downing, raaf uniform

Hand written Condolence Letter written to the family of Pte Douglas Brian Plain by his Commanding Officer Major N. Audeston on the 7th March 1968 on Australina Military forces letterhead. Type written letter by W.F. Sorsby, Lieutenant Colonel Adjutant General advising of Military Estate of Pte D.B. Plain and return of personal effects30cm x 21cmpte plain, condolence letter, australian military forces

Roll of Honour Memorial information accuracy request Official (copy) letter from Minister For Veterans Affairs notifying issue in 2002 of a Medal for National Servicemen who served between 1951 - 1972 to the family of Pte Douglas Brian PlainAustralian War Memorial - W.R. Lawrence (Director). Minister For Veterans Affairs - Danna Valemedals, pte plain, veterans affairs, australian war memorial

Letter (copy) from vietnamese Community in Australia dated 3/12/1992 conveying condolences to families of deceased soldiers during the Vietnam War. copy of articl re the biggest king cobra killed by Australian troops in south East Asia with emblem of D & E Platoon Nui Dat, South Vietnam dated 1966 - 1971vietnamese community in australia, letter, nui dat, south vietnam