The Vietnam War was different to any other war
Australia had been involved with in the past. Many factors made the war
different as it involved many players between other countries, politicians, the
military and civilians back home in Australia. The primary concern in Australia
was not just about communism, but the withdrawal of old colonial powers and
England not being able to defend Australia through conflicts if they occurred.
Australia during the 1950s had formed an alliance with America called the ANZUS
treaty.
In military terms the involvement in
Vietnam was the longest conflict Australia had been involved with in their
military history. Australia’s involvement began in 1962 and ended in 1975.
Australia began by sending of a training team to Vietnam in 1962, but combat
troops were not sent until 1965 when Sir Robert Menzies made his announcement
to parliament. The involvement was viewed as taking care of the communist
threat that would have a military threat to Australia. The myth of the ANZAC, which had been built
up from the ashes of the two precious wars were broken down by the Vietnam War
when people were able to access direct images through television. Vietnam
would live in the memories of those who had fought long after they had left and
provided many people with unique perspectives to the war both at home and
abroad.
Australia’s involvement in Vietnam was different to
other wars of the past as Australia was allied with the United States of
America while other military involvements were traditionally with the
motherland that was England. In the past Australia had followed England with
their declaration of war. The war in Vietnam was part of a treaty with America
that was called the ANZUS treaty that could be viewed as being one sided, ANZUS
was seen to America as something they could use for their own gain. The war in Vietnam ended up being one of the
longest conflicts involving Australia and was one that divided many back home.
Soldiers who had served in Vietnam did receive mixed reactions after returning
home and did have greater awareness of the effects of war on Australian
soldiers. Australia has not
fought major wars on Australian soil, which had impacted the civilian
population unlike the United States.
Involvement in the conflict began with advisors who were unarmed and trained
the military in Vietnam. The group was known as the AATTV (Australian Army
Training Team Vietnam) and their role was to train the Vietnamese soldiers.
Australia
was one party of the ANZUS treaty signed in 1951, the others included New
Zealand and the United States of America. Australia thought along with New
Zealand thought that they would need protection in case of invasion; the treaty
was called the ANZUS treaty. Both Australia and New Zealand were isolated from the
rest of the world and did not have large defence forces to defend themselves
against foreign forces.The
ANZUS treaty was something which would
work in America’s favour as they were able to use the treaty to their gain,
although it was seen as some sort of safety net for Australia. Australia was
willingly jumped aboard to help during the Vietnam War as they felt an alliance
with America was required, although the views were different in regards to
their main ally both politically and through the military. America wanted to be
seen as having several other flags in Vietnam so the war would be justified in
the eyes of other nations. Australia did look upon the alliance as something,
which would help the country economically as old trade alliances such as
England were moving away from Australian products.
Australia was also afraid of the Asian hordes attacking from Indonesia after
the Netherlands had withdrawn their sovereignty of Papua New Guinea.
The
first battalion to leave for Vietnam was loaded and put aboard the ship in the
early hours of the morning in almost secrecy without anyone knowing, although
families were present to watch the soldiers sail out during 1963.
Amongst the soldiers in Vietnam there was no standard within the military
experience as it differed depending on those who served in the country.
Australia operated differently to America in regards to dealing with the local
population and how they patrolled. The differences were noticed by many
American soldiers and the media representatives. National service began in 1964 and was directed towards young men who turned
twenty within six month period of January and June each year. Numbers were
drawn out of a barrel and people who were of aboriginal decent or against war
were not chosen for service.
The lottery was to increase the national servicemen ranks known as the
‘Nashos’. There was 16 lottery draws between 1965 and 1972.
Soldiers were conscripted through ballots and they could object to the service
on certain grounds like being against war in general or through religion. Many advances in technology that was available in Vietnam were not available in
previous wars especially with medical help. Soldiers could receive help in
short time periods with the use of mobility like helicopters.
The effectiveness of the troops in Vietnam became apparent when equipment had
not been released in full like tents without poles and other logistical
problems.
The
Vietnam War promoted mass demonstrations back home and other antiwar ideas,
which began in America and ended in Australia.
The protests in Australia against the war in Vietnam were not of the scale in
America. There were many issues, which were being protested about like against
conscription of soldiers and debates about the war in general at the
universities.
The Australian protests could be viewed differently in three ways through
photographic images. These were the protests against US President, Lyndon
Johnson in Sydney in 1966, the mass peaceful protest known as the Moratorium in
1970 and thirdly the protestors who approach returned soldiers through
harassment. All these have been captured by photography and all tell a story
about experiences from the war and how memories of events are influenced. The
protest movement in Australia during the war could have impacted on what
happened during the soldiers being withdrawn from Vietnam. During 1966 there
was a welcome home parade in Sydney for the soldiers who had served in Vietnam
that could have washed away the stigma from the demonstrations and protests
against the war.
Australia’s
involvement in Vietnam was not well understood. The political parties were in
disarray as both sides did not want to appear as being un-American to America
about the withdrawal of troops even though they had jumped at the chance to
enter Vietnam.
Television was a new concept for the media to use within the war in Vietnam and
at first did help sell the war to the Australian public and the current Prime
Minister at the time, Sir Robert Menzies knew how to play towards the camera to
great effect.
Politically Australia was helping America even though the war was not popular
with the public after the war had progressed several years. Australians did not
really debate why they were in Vietnam, but knew they had a job to do and they
wanted to do the job properly. The soldiers also had around six months of
jungle training before being sent overseas.
America welcomed the presence of Australia as the war was not sanctioned by the
UN. America
was the first to propose the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, Australia was
slow in committing their forces to leave the country.
After the war conscription had been cancelled after the Australian Labor Party
took office and Gough Whitlam became Prime Minister and the soldiers who were
left in Vietnam were sent home.
Vietnam
was the first war that was near completely televised and broadcast into
people’s living room within hours of being filmed. The war was known by
different names like the ‘Television War’ and the uncensored war. The media
representatives in Vietnam did need to have accreditation and their roles did
change after Vietnam through restrictions. The media did notice differences
between American forces and Australian and their use of the media.
The views from America of the war could have impacted on the Australian Veterans
through the use of the media and popular culture of the time. American stories
dominated the Vietnam War as the press had freedom to go where they liked with
the American military than they did with Australian soldiers. Very few
journalists covered the Australian involvement as the Australian military did
impose restrictions. Popular culture showed soldiers in a different light to
what had occurred, but the views were burned into the public minds.
Earlier wars were usually reported by print media and radio. Much of the
imagery was American so gave an ever lasting impression to viewers back in
Australia. Newspapers played with the war and gave their point of views across to
everyone.
Towards the end of the war in Vietnam, the media had mostly changed tact and
became critical of the government’s involvement by reporting what was going
badly with the war.
Vietnam
was a very different war as there was no frontline and the enemy was rarely
seen. Friends and foe alike were indistinguishable as was the case when people and
soldiers alike were hit by friendly fire. The
enemy were cunning in the way they operated. Tunnel war fare was one of the
tricks of the Vietcong that they used on the soldiers who were fighting against
them. There were some elaborate tunnels constructed and only parts of that were
found during the war.
The Viet Cong also known as Charlie to Americans had the ability to vanish once
they attacked. They were skilled in the weaponry they used and were very rarely
seen in the area of combat. Some of the weaponry like mines were used against
the Australian soldiers. They
also used the environment against the soldiers by using series of traps to
capture and kill Australian soldiers. The conditions in Vietnam also attributed
to health problems in soldiers like Malaria and other tropical diseases. The
country they fought in was tropical and would have caused many problems than a
physical enemy. These did end with the soldier being sent to hospital for
treatment. Not all problems ended after the soldiers returned home as many were
plagued by mental illness.
Australian experiences during the Vietnam were
different to other wars which Australian soldiers had served. Not everyone were
military personnel who had to serve and there were Australian civilians who
worked in the country as well. Women were also involved within the
war and served many different roles from nurses, entertainers and office workers
who all experienced the Vietnam War in different ways. Some had seen the war
from both the American and Australian points of view. Some had observed the
differences between both countries through their attitudes. Women in war zones are seen under a different
light, although not being part of war or particularly violent. Nurses during
Vietnam were seen as healers and comfort for the soldiers who were wounded in
the hospital. No matter the conditions the nurses tried to keep up appearances
with their uniforms.
Entertainers to Vietnam were always a welcome sight for Australian soldiers and
it helped ease the homesickness. The entertainers were not immune to the
dangers of the war and were caught up in trouble between the American soldiers
and at one stage by an enemy sniper.
The women who were located in Vietnam did suffer from PTSD like the men who
served, but they were not recognised and had to fight to be.
There were misconceptions that Australian soldiers who
served in Vietnam never received welcome home parades by the public. Soldiers
who returned home by ship as one group were well received, while the last
groups leaving Vietnam did not return as one group. Vietnam
Veterans received their national memorial in Canberra around 1992 for those who
had served. The veterans had fought hard to be recognised and for a memorial
too. The memorial is unique as names are immortalised of all who served,
although women are missing from the list. The memorial was erected during 1992
on the anniversary of the 1987 Welcome Home marches in Sydney. The
soldiers who were in Vietnam felt they were ignored at home in regards to their
military experiences especially to the point where they formed their own
association when the RSL ignored them.
There is plenty of literature today about the Vietnam War. Much of the material
balances both sides of the war from the involvement and even the protest
movements both in Australia and overseas. Popular culture has also bore the
brunt of the Vietnam War from movies to comic books.
The experiences of the soldiers that they had suffered had not been recognised
until later especially when they suffered from the effects of the war.
The
Vietnam War was one place, which changed Australia’s place in the world and was
controversial. With the shrinking of old colonial powers, Australia felt she
was isolated from the rest of the world and jumped at the chance for an
alliance with America thinking the country would help if Australia was invaded.
Along with New Zealand, the two countries signed a treaty that was known as the
ANZUS treaty. America played on the fears of communism and invasion from Asia
for Australia to join them for war in Vietnam. The war was different from
previous wars as Television showed images of the conflict and resulted in mass
protests. The public could not distinguish between Australian or American
soldiers shown on the television. The public image of the ANZAC from previous
wars had been shattered. Conscription was widely used as one way for soldiers
to be sent overseas and later cancelled after Vietnam. The soldiers learned
they were fighting an enemy, which were different from any other and mainly
guerrilla warfare in jungle. Australia stuck with America until the end,
although they wanted to withdraw, but did not want to be seen as jumping the
gun. The Vietnam War has provided Australia with plenty of information during
the time period. As time passed many Australians became aware of many problems
the soldiers had when adjusting to home life and other issues including the
veterans being provided with a national memorial.
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Grey, Jeffrey ‘Vietnam, ANZAC and the veteran’, Vietnam
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