Long Tan

[Psycho Chicken]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Having said that, I came across an ex-SAS guy many years later who contradicted some of what they both had to say. I have no reason to disbelieve him.

No offence to him, but how the hell would the SAS know? They were at least 7km to the north.

There's no way Delta Coy was ambushed. If it was an ambush no one would of made it out of there. More to the point, why the hell would you set up an ambush well within Australian/NZ arty range?

Personally I believe it was a force sent to attack the base at Nui Dat, and the mortar/rocket attacks on the night of the 17th were a day early.

[Casper]

If it was an ambush they would have been overrun in the first 2 minutes with no one left to explain why.

[WILDTRAKPX2]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

No offence to him, but how the hell would the SAS know? They were at least 7km to the north.

There's no way Delta Coy was ambushed. If it was an ambush no one would of made it out of there. More to the point, why the hell would you set up an ambush well within Australian/NZ arty range?

Personally I believe it was a force sent to attack the base at Nui Dat, and the mortar/rocket attacks on the night of the 17th were a day early.

Agree 100%.

If anyone hasn't seen the show that was on the History channel, make sure you do. It's an excellent account of what happened and very moving.

On a side note, Colonel Colin Townsend lived here in Gympie (since 1980) and sadly died in June.
Many locals didn’t know he was a distinguished military leader and an Australian hero. RIP Colin.
http://www.gympietimes.com.au/localn...&thesubsection=

[MO]

I have posted in another thread about Long Tan and I reiterate the fact that those ppl who fought in Long Tan and other areas...who were not given recognition for their bravery......well it sucks big time!!!!!

For those interested look up my posts.

Shockwave I'm in Tin Can area if you fancy catching up.

[DOC]

Originally Posted by MO

I have posted in another thread about Long Tan and I reiterate the fact that those ppl who fought in Long Tan and other areas...who were not given recognition for their bravery......well it sucks big time!!!!!
For those interested look up my posts.
Shockwave I'm in Tin Can area if you fancy catching up.

MO i am not going to make out i know what it was like when these guys got home and there was no recognition, i would have still been running around just outside of nappys.

And yes it would have sucked big time, but i think in today's times it has been proven a wrong and sad thing that these guys and girls were treated this way, and in saying that there are many now who have a huge respect for all involved.

[MO]

Pity the gov't does'nt...anyway not going to turn this into a flame war.

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

No offence to him, but how the hell would the SAS know? They were at least 7km to the north.

Well, no offense to you either but with regard to Long Tan he knows enough to comment. I didn't make my statement solely on the basis of "I once met a guy who told me xyz"

However, I have no intention of turning this into a "did/didn't" debate.

I've said what I said in good faith you can choose to believe it or not.

[Papa Smurf]

These blokes were treated like Lepers when they came back and it took a long time for them to be treated with dignity.

I am fortunate that the Prime minister brought the boys home and called an end to our involvement in Vietnam. I would have been next to go, not taht I wanted to but I would have gone if needed. I lost 2 of my friends in the Vietnam War.

[WILDTRAKPX2]

Originally Posted by MO

I have posted in another thread about Long Tan and I reiterate the fact that those ppl who fought in Long Tan and other areas...who were not given recognition for their bravery......well it sucks big time!!!!!

For those interested look up my posts.

Shockwave I'm in Tin Can area if you fancy catching up.

Hey Mo, small world mate. I didn't think anyone here would be from Tin Can! Mate, would love to catch up. Next time you are heading up this way, let me know.

[Uncle_Ken]

Originally Posted by Casper

Exactly the point. Screw the politics, screw the blaming.

This is about the men.. the individuals and the actual deeds. Irrelevant how it happened or why, just that it did and that those who suffered DESERVE to get some time to tell their story and get past the political rubbish.

I agree Casper

In some ways yuo can draw parallels to Gallipoli, stupid campaign thought up by Churchill. Poorly executed, but the men (on both sides) did their best for the country as they felt they should.

Uncle Ken

[Ghiadude]

Hats off to the men who had the balls to do something that i myself do not have the balls to do. Regardless of the facts, the politics or the injustice - people suffered and died away from there families and friends in sometimes horrific circumstances.


My only hope is that OUR men and women come home from Iraq ASAP. 1 lost aussie is 1 too many.

War - what is it good for?

[red_hotxr6]

I personally think that this is one time that i am glad i am a girl. Must have been so hard, from go to woe.A lot of very brave, brave men.

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by JG66ME

What do you think he should of done diffrently during WW2?
This is about Long Tan and Vietnam anyway. Not the politics of war.

It is hard, if not impossible to separate the actual battles of wars and the politics of wars. The vets of Long Tan, and any other war have my complete respect.

And I was refering to WW1, not WW2.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Outbackjack

It is hard, if not impossible to separate the actual battles of wars and the politics of wars.

No its not. The guys getting shot at are in the battles, they are the ones doing amazing things in insane conditions. The reason why they are there and who's decision it was to send them there is pretty irrelevant when there's an AK47 spewing bullets at you for a few hours. I know that, regardless of anything else, I don't think I'd even have a moment to spare thinking about politics in that situation.

Watch the show, NOTHING about the politics of it was mentioned in the entire time.

Its very easy for me to separate the difference.

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by Casper

No its not. The guys getting shot at are in the battles, they are the ones doing amazing things in insane conditions. The reason why they are there and who's decision it was to send them there is pretty irrelevant when there's an AK47 spewing bullets at you for a few hours. I know that, regardless of anything else, I don't think I'd even have a moment to spare thinking about politics in that situation.

Watch the show, NOTHING about the politics of it was mentioned in the entire time.

Its very easy for me to separate the difference.

I think you mis understood what I was trying to say. It is always politics that lead to battles/wars. The two are always linked. And I agree, if some other soldier was pointing a AK47, or any other weapon, at me, I sure as hell would not be thinking too much about the politics of the situation that I was in.

[red_hotxr6]

It is funny how the govt can just up and tell these guys go and fight but up to today there is still an indifference towards these heroes.

[Outbackjack]

Originally Posted by red_hotxr6

It is funny how the govt can just up and tell these guys go and fight but up to today there is still an indifference towards these heroes.

I think that the indifference that you are reffering to is a dieing attitude, thankfully. We have a situation at the moment where we have troops in some very dangerous and politically contentiuos places. I dont think that these guys will return to the same crap that greeted our Vietnam members. I think that people of today are more "world aware" and know that if there is any flack to be taken by the troops presence overseas it should be directed at the people that sent them (ie their respective governments/polititions).

[ltd]

Hats off to these brave men and women who served in Vietnam.
Casper you are right, it is not about politics, and bringing politics into it only serves to take the shine away from the fact that brave men and women gave their lives for their country. That in my mind is the supreme sacrifice and as such, I am thrilled that in Australia we now seem to be allowed to talk about it, as well as honour those brave soldiers. In the USA they received the same treatment as our guys did, so politics aren't relevant here. What needs to be done now is we need to hold remembrance as we do on Anzac day and 11th November for the vietnam vets, and we need to include it in our school history instead of the usual PC crap about stolen generations that espouses being ashamed from Captain Cook right up until this day.

BTW, did anyone notice Naomi Robson say the 14 year anniversary of long tan? I didn't miss hear it as she apologised later and rectified the situation by saying it was 40 years. She really mustn't give a tinkers cuss about what she presents or worse still, she is just really dumb. I mean, you don't need to know much history at all to realise that 14 years ago there was not a war in vietnam. What a dope.