AUSTRALIA’S A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Introduction

• The aim of our talk is to provide you with: • an overview of the Vietnam War from an Australian context, • our personal perspectives of the War, • comments on selected social and political aspects of the War and its effects, and • our views on the War’s legacy.

In order to achieve the aim we have developed the following sequence of events:

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Sequence of Events • Background to the War • Australia’s War • Personal Perspectives 1-(not included) • Personal Perspectives 2-(not included) • Selected Social and Political Issues • The Legacy • Questions

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War-Geography

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War - History • WW2 ends-Aug 1945 and France reclaims its Japanese occupied colonies of Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) • 1945-Fight for Vietnamese independence commences under Ho Chi Minh • By 1950, PRC has come into existence, providing sanctuary and support to the Vietminh. US distracted by the Korean War (1950-53) • 1954 French disaster at Dien Bien Phu • First Indochina War ends 1954-Geneva Peace Talks

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War-History (2) • 1954 Talks result in independence for Cambodia and Laos and the formation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (NVN) and the Republic of Vietnam (SVN) divided at the 17th Parallel • SVN under pro-French military and Catholic and Buddhist elites • 1956-SVN renege on holding reunification elections • 1956-French leave Vietnam • 1957 2nd Indochina War (Vietnam War) commences as an insurgency by the Viet Cong (Vietminh)in the South. The war aim of the North is reunification, but by force

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War-History (3)

• 1957 - US becomes increasingly involved underwriting the South with the aim of stopping the spread of communism- Is the War one of nationalism or ideology?

• 1962 - The US actively seeks allies, as did , and by the time the War is at its peak – there are a variety of nations involved

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War-Players-Home Team

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Background to the War-Players-Away Team

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Australia and the War • Jul 62 -arrival of 30 military advisers ( Training Team Vietnam (AATV)- four Victoria Crosses were awarded to members of the AATV • May 64 limited conscription (National Service) reintroduced • Aug 64 flight of RAAF Caribou air transports deployed to Vung Tau • Jun 65-the all-regular army 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), with armour, artillery and engineers, deployed to Bien Hoa as part of US 173rd Airborne Brigade

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Australia and the War (2) • Mar 66 government announced the deployment of a two battalion task force, with artillery, armour and engineers and an RAAF squadron of Iroquois helicopters. Conscripts would be integral to task force elements. • 1ATF allocated Phuoc Tuy Province as its principal Area of Operations. NZ commit an artillery battery and later two infantry companies (Anzac battalion)

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Australia and the War (3) • Aug 66--D Coy 6RAR. Against overwhelming odds the Coy was saved from destruction by the combined effects of artillery, air power and armour • 1967-RAN commenced destroyer operations with the US Navy off the NVN coast and RAN clearance divers and a helicopter detachment deployed in country • 1967-RAAF squadron of Canberra jet bombers deployed flying from Thailand

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Australia and the War (4) • 1968- by North Vietnamese and VC. Although the VC were destroyed as an effective force the strategic surprise was a huge propaganda victory- “Could victory be achieved?” • May/Jun 68-Battles of Coral/Balmoral • 1969-Battle of Binh Ba • 1969 opposition to “the unwinnable war” mounted in US and then Australia. In Australia linked to the issues of conscription • 1970 US/RVN invasion of Cambodia expands the war and increases anti- war sentiment. In Australia 200,000 protest against the war at Moratorium events

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Australia and the War (5) • 1971-Australia starts to wind down its commitment, with the last ground troops out by Dec. AATTV remained on until Dec 72 and Australia’s official participation ended by GG Proclamation on 11 Jan 73 • 1975-The War itself ended with the to NVA troops on 30 Apr • Over 50,000 Australians served in SVN between 1962 and 1973 from the Army, RAN and RAAF. Of these 520 died as a direct result of the war and 2,400 were wounded. Within these figures 15,381 were conscripts and approximately 200 were killed • Conscripts make up a disproportionate number of dead

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Selected Social and Political Issues from the War • Conscription- • As an issue a source for dissent on a scale not seen since the WW1 conscription referendums • WHY? In 1964 the Army had three infantry battalions-one was on operations in Malaysia and one was earmarked for SVN. The Army needed to expand and conscripts were the answer. But it was not universal. • 1966 conscripts deployed on operations overseas for the first time since WW2. 70% approved • 1969-combination of conscripts and an unpopular war made a toxic mix. • Some people refused to be conscripted- “draft dodgers”. Some jailed • The L/CP had been in power since 1949, the ALP saw this as an issue that could win them power – this happened in Dec 72 • Conscription was abolished almost immediately but left negative perceptions

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Selected Social and Political Issues from the War (2) • Vietnamese Refugees • 1975-Large numbers fled , to avoid the horrors of death or internment in “reeducation camps” • 1976-more fled by sea-they became known as boat people • Apr 76-first boat arrived in Darwin • 300,000 are recorded as arriving in refugee camps • Many people were captured in their attempts to escape • Dangerous seas, overcrowded or unseaworthy boats and pirate attacks meant that an unknown number of refugees died at sea. In his memoir, well-known Australian comedian Anh Do recounts that his family was twice attacked by pirates • In the 2016 census over 215,000 Australians had been born in Vietnam

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Selected Social and Political Issues from the War (3) • The role of the media-this was the first war of 24/7 media coverage- what was filmed and photographed had an enormous impact on the morale of the home front • Defoliation, Agent Orange and the long term impact on civilians and combatants • Fight for recognition by veterans-health (PTSD, cancers), honours/awards, acceptance. National Welcome Home 3 Oct 87

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Selected Social and Political Issues from the War (4)

• 1975-79-Rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the murder of over 2million of its own people in death camps • China-Vietnam relations: • 1975-China seized SVN occupied Paracel islands • 1979 China-Vietnam War, over the Khmer Rouge. Won by Vietnamese. The land defeat of the PLA underpinned the significant need for Deng Xiaoping’s four modernisations, launched the year before • 1990-Collapse of the USSR. Without the distraction of Vietnam War-US able to focus on the USSR

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH The Legacy Positive Negative • Delaying the spread of communism in Asia- • Reunification by force of arms gave SEA nations chance to become established post-colonialism assisted the domino theory propaganda dimension • Underpinned our US alliance “all the way with LBJ” • Distracted the US from main effort- • Forced the government to increase the defeating the USSR ADF budget • Split the nation-conscription. • Reinforced importance of full-time ADF, reduces political dimensions • Lack of recognition of veterans • Media coverage brought the war to the • Huge casualty numbers particularly living room-no hiding the bad news civilians and environmental damage • Role of UNSC authorized interventions (less Iraq 2003) • Start point of South China Sea • Contribution of Vietnamese to Australian instability society

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH Questions ?

FORESTVILLE RSL SUB-BRANCH