Australia's part in the Vietnam War began with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, (AATTV). The first contingent of which arrived in Vietnam in August 1962. Highly trained and skilled, the men of this unit went on actual combat patrols with units of the Army of the Republic of South Vietnam, the ARVN, to train them in methods of village control to stop Viet Cong Infrastructures building in populated areas.

The AATTV quickly realised the type of enemy they were up against. The tactics of the hit and run Guerrilla warfare of not offering a permanently large target to focus their fire-power upon meant that members of the AATTV found themselves taking the fight to the enemy with patrols and searches in areas suspected of enemy movement. Sometimes, it was the AATTV themselves, who were supplying the intelligence information to American Advisors, who in turn brought Artillery fire from the South Vietnamese Army, to bear on the target area, or mobilised the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, ARVN, to attack.

While American Advisors stuck to their method of showing villagers how to fortify their villages from possible ground assault by the Viet Cong, and encouraging village leaders, sympathetic to the South's cause, to alert ARVN of suspect people who might be supporting local Viet Cong. The Australians began to advise their ARVN counterparts on how best to patrol and counter ambush attacks by the Viet Cong.

The AATTV proved itself as a formidable unit, and well respected by Viet Cong and Regular North Vietnam Army units they came up against. Such was their courage that the AATTV was the most highly decorated unit of Australians in Military History. Between August 1962, and until they were withdrawn in July 1973, this unit won 4 Victoria Crosses, and many more distinguished service awards, for valour and bravery.

In November 1964, Australia's Menzies Government introduced Conscription to bolster its Australian Army troop numbers. All males were required to register with the Department of National Service as they turned 19 years of age. Numbered marbles were drawn out of barrels, and if a registered man’s birth date for his 20th birthday matched the number of a marble, then he was required to undergo a complete physical and medical examination. The first ballot was in March 1965.

If you passed the examinations and were 'called-up', (or conscripted) into National Service, you were required to complete a 2 year term in the Australian Army. If you were lucky, you got posted to a unit that did not go to South Vietnam, and you served out your term in the unit. At first these 'Conscripts' were told one of the many lies by some uninformed sources. They were advised that they would not be sent to Vietnam unless they 'volunteered'. However, the truth was that about 1 third of all those conscripted went to Vietnam. In 1971, when the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment commenced its second 'tour' about 45 % of its infantry troops were National Servicemen.

The total number of Australian men who registered for National Service, between 1964 and 1972, was 804,286. The total from this figure actually called up was 63,735. Of those called up the number who went to Vietnam was 17,424 men. Prior to 1967 those not required to register for 'The Draft' included Aboriginals, Non-Naturalised Emigrants, University Students, and Apprentices. After January1967, however, the draft was expanded to include these groups as well.

During the period of Conscription, 1965 to 1972, some became objectors, and tried to avoid conscription for a number of reasons. There were those who objected on religious grounds, those who opposed the war in Vietnam for political reasons, and, those who opposed any war. Objectors had the opportunity to prove their case before the courts, with the courts deciding if the objections had merit, or whether the objector had to complete his term of National Service. Some who tried to refuse the directives of the courts were sentenced and jailed for the period of their National Service, being 2 years in most cases. They became known as Conscientious Objectors, and those actually jailed numbered about 14.

In 1965, with the Viet Cong seriously threatening the South Vietnam Government’s security, the US began committing its own military units. This was escalated by the North Vietnam Army moving into South Vietnam to support the Viet Cong. The Australian Government decided to bolster its commitment as well, and, in May 1965, sent a military contingent of about 1200 men. This consisted of one Infantry Battalion, - 1st Royal Australain Regiment, (1RAR) - Armoured vehicles, Signals troops, and Logistical support groups. These first Australian troops joined with a US Brigade, the 173rd Airborne, stationed at Bien Hoa Air base, just northeast of Saigon. Other United Nations Allies, like South Korea and The Philippenes, sent supporting forces as well.

The Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, added to its commitment with No.2 Squadron C3, 'Caribou', Transporters and 35 Squadron 'Canberra' fighter bombers to support both American and Australian Troops on the ground. The next year saw RAAF bringing in its own Squadron of helicopters - 9 Squadron- which included the Bell 'Iroquois' troop carrier, as well the larger UH-1D -'Huey'- Gunship, and Cargo/Troop carrier Chinook, helicopter.

By November 1971, No9 Sqn had flown about 237,000 sorties, carried over 414,000 passengers, 4,000 casevacs and 12,000 tonnes of freight. The Sqn suffered 7 aircraft destroyed or written off and 37 damaged, 23 by ground fire. 4 members of 9 Squadron were killed. The helicopter was a major workhorse utilised with nearly every ground force operation in Phuoc Tuy province.

The helicopters - ‘Huey’ - Gunships, and 'Iroquois'- were used for ‘Dust-Offs’, to support infantry attacks, transport troops to Landing Zones, and to evacuate dead and wounded soldiers after battles. They often came under direct ground fire when in support of infantry, or making resupply runs for depleted troop ammunitions and rations. In total, the RAAF lost 14 killed including 8 as non-battle casualties (including 2 missing), and another 30 wounded in action, out of 4,674 personnel. This figure includes the 106 RAAF women who served in Vietnam.

The RAN - Royal Australian Navy - used HMAS Sydney, a converted carrier, to transport main force units of battalion troops between Australia and Vietnam. The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne escorted the Sydney into Vietnam waters, but never docked in port. Warships such as HMA Ships Vampire, Brisbane, Hobart, Perth, Vendetta, Jeparit, to name a few, had multiple roles as escorts for the HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney between operations with US Navy vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Escorts like HMAS Yarra and HMAS Vampire also entered Vietnam waters but not into port. Ships duties included the offshore shelling of selected North Vietnamese positions, and in support of other ground artillery action. The HMAS Perth in one action in the Tonkin Gulf returned 12,000 rounds in hostile combat. The RAN lost 8 killed including 4 in non-battle incidents, and another 20 wounded in action, out of 12,503 who served in Vietnam and the waters around it.

Between them the pilots of Navy Flight Vietnam, 161 Recce Flight, and RAAF Squadrons won 80 Distinguished Flying Crosses, as well as many other meritorious awards. The Navy also were awarded with 4 Distinguished Service Medals and 1 RAAF member won the George Medal. A testament to their courage under fire.

In 1966 Australia increased its commitment to a task force, similar in size to a Brigade, with 3 Infantry Battalions, supported by Artillery, Tanks and Armoured Personnel Carriers, Engineers and Administrative Troops, along with the above-mentioned air support provided by the RAAF, and the RAN's offshore support. Thus taking Australia's commitment to about 8,400 troops on the ground.

The First Australian Task Force - 1ATF - was given the Province of Phuoc Tuy as its Tactical Area of Operations, and built an operational base at Nui Dat. The First Australian Logistic Support Group - 1ALSG - charged with supporting the 1ATF, with its Hospital unit, Stores and Transport and Engineer Workshops, and sundry other units needed to keep an Army in the field - set up base in the port city of Vung Tau.

Australia's Special Air Service, (SAS), units, 1,2 and 3 Squadrons completed tours that saw 1Sqn tour March 1967 to February 1968, and again from February 1970 to February 1971. 2Sqn tour January 1968 to March 1969, and again from February 1971 to October 1971. While 3 Sqn toured April 1966 to July 1967 and February 1969 to February 1970. SAS decorations included 3 Military Crosses, 2 Distinguished Conduct Medals, 4 Military Medals, and 16 Mentioned In Despatches.

SAS's tasks of penetrating into suspected enemy strongholds undetected, and reporting back valuable intelligence information, should not be forgotten. Many successful Artillery and Naval bombardments, air strikes, and ground force Battalion Operations would not have been as successful without them. SAS lost 6 men in Vietnam, (including one who went missing during an extraction by rope presumed dead, and another who died several months later of his wounds, in Australia), out of some 700 who served in Vietnam. Almost 50 were wounded, and another 4 were returned to Australia with illnesses.

Between April and June 1966 2RAR, 5RAR and 6RAR arrived in country for their first tours, and began the task of securing the base at Nui Dat, and carrying out operations throughout Phuoc Tuy Province. Villages considered to be too close to Nui Dat camp, such as Long Phuoc and Long Tan, were destroyed and all civilians relocated to safe areas away from the base. Several hamlets and isolated farm houses, near an area known as 'Slope 31', were also destroyed and the occupants relocated. In June 1966 1RAR returned to Australia.

Over the next 4 years 3RAR, 4RAR, and 7RAR, 8RAR and 9RAR each completed a 12 month 'Tour' of duty, staggered so that the 3 battalions were not replaced all at the same time. Giving fresh troops a time to learn the skills from those about to complete their tour. This saw all but 8RAR and 9RAR complete 2 tours of duty with about 18 months between each tour. In 1970 the task force was reduced to 2 battalions, when 8 RAR left in November 1970 leaving 7RAR and 2RAR to remain until 3RAR replaced 7RAR in February/March 1971, and 4RAR replaced 2RAR in May/June 1971.

Each of 6RAR, 2RAR and 4RAR's tours contained a company of New Zealand Infantry, making them ANZAC Battalions. In operations with Australians the Kiwis provided noteworthy support, and proved to be excellent soldiers in the field. What cannot be left out of Australia's involvement in Vietnam was the use of Squadrons of Armoured Personnel Carriers, and the men who served in units such as 3CAV Regiment. APC's were used extensively to move large numbers of troops into Operational Areas, provide invaluable Armoured support during assaults on bunker systems, and escort the movement of Artillery pieces being relocated.

Australia's involvement was further reduced when the last, 2Sqn, SAS and 3RAR pulled out in October/November 1971, and Nui Dat base was handed over to the ARVN. 4RAR remained until March 1972, with the AATTV pulling out in December 1972, leaving a Guard Platoon and other personnel at the Embassy in Saigon until July 1973. Between 1962 and 1973 some 41,544 Army personnel, (including the National Servicemen listed above, and members of the AATTV, as well as 76 service women), served in Vietnam. Another 1,850 civilians also saw some form of duty in Vietnam, 331 of which were women.

For the record, and not included in the above figures to date, the Army contingent was awarded with 1 George Medal, 54 Military Crosses and 4 Military Medals, numerous other awards for gallantry, and Mentioned In Despatch awards. 498 lost their lives, (including 4 missing), and another 2,348 were wounded. 7 Australian civilians were killed.

Although this ends the article about Australia's involvement, it must be remembered that a multitude of men and women served in Vietnam in areas, not necessarily in infantry units, but without whose efforts the combat units could not have survived. The Doctors and Nurses of the Medical Corp who saved hundreds of lives of wounded diggers. The Tank and APC Crews of the Armoured Corps who went into assault with soldiers on many occasions. Members of RAA, whose artillery fire saved the day during the Battle of Long Tan, and at Fire Support Bases Balmoral and Coral. Nor should we forget the efforts of the Transport Platoons, Cooks and Engineers, and Ordinace Corp, all given a job to do, and all who carried out that job with distinction.