18th August 1966

[Digger]

Travelling tomorrow so I'll post this today.

 

The 18th August 2016 is the 50th anniversary of The Battle Of Long Tan. (Vietnam)

 

I know I rattle on about this every year but I feel duty bound to inform those who are unaware of this epic battle in the Australian theatre of conflict during the Vietnam War.

 

Here is a very good documentary on the battle and I recommend it to you if you have half an hour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZFXmP8iF-k

 

For those of you that can't watch it and want a summary, a mortar attack was launched on the Australian Task Force at Nui Dat on the 18th August 1966 and D Coy, 6 RAR were sent out to engage and remove the enemy that were attacking.

 

At one point 11 platoon was on point in a rubber plantation and had just found a mortar base plate when they were ambushed by a vastly superior force. They were immediately pinned down and had taken casualties. (the first killed was my friend and workmate Colin Whiston) They were isolated from the rest of their company by withering enemy fire.

 

The enemy in this case was a full NVA (North Vietnamese Army) regiment, regular well trained and equipped troops reinforced by local VC elements and totalling 1000 men it is believed. Now D Coy was around 100 men but only one platoon which is about 30 men were caught out and pinned down. 30 men v/s 1000 well equipped and well prepared enemy was slightly too much even for Aussies (Grin)

 

11 platoon hooked in fighting for their survival but continued to lose men. 12 platoon struggled desperately to relieve them but the fire was too great. The Kiwis of the Fire Support Team kept arty raining down all night, a veritable wall of steel that the Vietnamese found hard to penetrate. What a magnificent effort, those New Zealanders were, literally running all night with shells to keep the fire up. Each shell weighing as much as a bag of cement, one on each shoulder! It's not only Aussies that don't let their mates down, Kiwis don't either!

 

At that time Aussie infantry patrolled with just 60 rounds of 7.62 for their SLR's and it soon became apparent that they would soon be out of ammo. Now throughout all this they fought in a tropical downpour and medics had to keep making sure wounded didn't drown in water filled dips in the terrain.

 

Volunteers from the RAAF flew ammo resupplies in under arduous and dangerous conditions, dropping boxes of ammo wrapped in blankets from a low level onto 11 platoons position whilst under intense enemy fire and in driving rain. The ammo was in boxes,in bandoleers and had to be stripped from the webbing, removed from clips and loaded into magazines before being used. All this under intense fire, driving rain and mud everywhere and where if you put your head up it was likely to be blown off! A lesson for the future was to resupply as loaded magazines not bulk ammo. Also thereafter troops could take as much ammo as they could carry.

 

At one point the M60 was down to one round before the resupply. Barrels were constantly changed as they became red hot. The ranking NCO Bob Buick at one point called artillery down on the platoon position believing they would be dead in a few minutes anyway but the FSO let him believe they would do it but didn't.

 

The commander was reluctant to commit further troops from the task force as he suspected this ambush was designed to weaken the defenses at Nui Dat. The battle raged all night with 11 platoon remaining pinned down most of the time. The next morning an APC relief force was sent in (M113) and routed the enemy, many who had fled overnight.

 

There were in excess of 200 KIA NVA bodies found the next day and it was a known fact that they endeavour to remove as many bodies as they can to confuse results, they likely took a lot of their casualties that night too so we shall never know. We lost 18 men that night, the highest loss for Australia in one action since WW11.

 

As a result, the VC mostly backed off Phuc Tui province after finding out that Aussies were no push over.

 

The American government awarded a Presidential citation to D Coy for the action that night. Our government has to this day refused to issue any awards for this action despite clear acts of heroism and self sacrifice.

 

Bloody mongrels!

 

I was under call-up notice when the news of this hit the streets and so it had a profound effect on me at the time.

 

Think how much life these boys could have lived in these past 50 years if they hadn't made the supreme sacrifice for their fellow Aussies.

 

Colin Whiston, mate I will be thinking of you tomorrow.

[IanHenry]

Unfortunately Digger, the video's not showing, it seems to be a problem with the site recently.

 

 

Ian

[Digger]

Unfortunately Digger, the video's not showing, it seems to be a problem with the site recently.

 

 

Ian

Thanks Ian, I have replaced the link and it works fine from here so I hope it's OK now.

[merciful-evans]

Well told Digger.

I cant watch the vid right now, but will tomorrow at home.

[OldCowboy]

Far too close to home. Semper Fi from this old Jarhead, brother.

[jdgm]

Thankyou Digger.

You are right to remind us.

These people - the ones at the sharp end who gave everything - must never be forgotten.

[kelly campbell]

I agree, never forget.

[IanHenry]

Thanks Digger, I'll watch it tomorrow.

 

 

Regards,

Ian

[Digger]

Far too close to home. Semper Fi from this old Jarhead, brother.

 

 

Understood. Let sleeping dogs lie then.

[Digger]

I have issues with PTSD and at times struggle just like many other veterans of numerous conflicts, and my method of dealing with it is generally avoidance. I don't talk about it much and avoid veterans activities, however we need to be reminded of the price that some have paid for the freedoms that we enjoy.

 

In that 50 years how much life could those boys have lived?

 

Lest we forget.

[Cougar]

Thanks, Digger.

[Big Bill]

I was too young to serve during the war, however my senior NCOs did. They taught me the values of strong leadership which made me a successful NCO. Heros without a doubt!

[Retired]

Thanks for the reminder Rob. I'll watch the video later as the wife is on her way back with Grayson. We have him till noon. I missed Vietnam due to they missed my number and three years prior to graduation my left arm was nearly cut off from an accident. Wouldn't take me anyway. What's amazing to me is your government trusted you Ausies to fight with guns for your country and now, stripped you all naked from them. I call that BS. If you can defend your country, you should be able to defend yourselves.

[Digger]

Thanks for the reminder Rob. I'll watch the video later as the wife is on her way back with Grayson. We have him till noon. I missed Vietnam due to they missed my number and three years prior to graduation my left arm was nearly cut off from an accident. Wouldn't take me anyway. What's amazing to me is your government trusted you Ausies to fight with guns for your country and now, stripped you all naked from them. I call that BS. If you can defend your country, you should be able to defend yourselves.

 

 

We have different cultures Butch, quite different when it comes to guns.

 

I'd say that 90% of Aussies would support the current firearm legislation here.

 

I love guns myself and would own more if allowed, but basically I think we have it pretty right, for us that is!

 

The storage requirements are an issue for me as a gun and ammo locked up in different storage reduces the usefulness in dealing with pests and unless the gun and ammo are at hand I miss a lot of shots . And yet I am required by other legislation to control vermin on my property! The police enforce the laws often without applying common sense, and farmers should be viewed differently.