Vietnam vets stand tall on day marked for them

The Australian ^ | 19th August 2008 | Sarah Elks

[naturalman1975]

VIETNAM veteran Ian Fruend attributes the breakdown he suffered six years ago to one thing - it was "because of some of the things I did and saw" in battle.

After a harrowing war, the infantryman, who served with 8RAR in Nui Dat, Vietnam, returned to Australia without fanfare, landing in Sydney to find the airport in darkness. There was no one to meet him, or offer support.

Seeking solace at nearby Liverpool RSL, he was singled out by an old Digger who, identifying his short hair and bandaged arms as that of a soldier recently returned from Vietnam, spat an insult: "You're a mob of f..king babykillers."

After that Mr Fruend - "Puff" to his mates - told no one about his tour in Vietnam and had nothing more to do with the military or the RSL.

It was only recently, since his breakdown and as a member of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, that he has returned, somewhat reluctantly, to the military fold.

Yesterday morning, he joined hundreds of his comrades in striding through the streets of Brisbane to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day, which is held on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan, in which 18 Australians died.

The battle took place in pouring rain on August 18, 1966, in a rubber plantation on the outskirts of the Australian base in Phuoc Tuy province. About 100 men from D Company, part of the Brisbane-based 6RAR, fought against 1500 North Vietnamese regular troops and Viet Cong guerillas.

It was announced last week that three of the soldiers involved in that battle - Harry Smith, Dave Sabben and Geoff Kendall - would finally receive the awards that were recommended shortly after the battle.

[rahbert]

“landing in Sydney to find the airport in darkness”

How many of us landed to find the airport in darkness?

[Pentagon Leatherneck]

Hell, we landed to find the COUNTRY in darkness.

TC

[onedoug]

...attributes the breakdown he suffered six years ago to one thing - it was "because of some of the things I did and saw" in battle.

Another crazed Vietnam veteran story. Oh, boy.

[oh8eleven]

... identifying his short hair and bandaged arms as that of a soldier recently returned from Vietnam, spat an insult: "You're a mob of f..king babykillers."
Really? Anti-war whackos, in Australia, in 1966?

About 100 men from D Company, part of the Brisbane-based 6RAR, fought against 1500 North Vietnamese regular troops and Viet Cong guerillas.
From a Long Tan battle webpage the company CO says this ... "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Long Tan was an encounter battle where 108 soldiers of D Coy survived continual frontal assaults mounted by battalions of a reinforced NVA Regiment in the order of some 2500 NVA and VC troops."

So 108 men fought off 2500 NVA?

[Moose4]

Seeking solace at nearby Liverpool RSL, he was singled out by an old Digger who, identifying his short hair and bandaged arms as that of a soldier recently returned from Vietnam, spat an insult: "You're a mob of f..king babykillers."

This is the saddest part of the whole thing. A fellow veteran turning on this guy?

"I left my heart to the sappers 'round Khe Sanh..." Think that got played a lot yesterday?

}:-)4

[smedley64]

Every time I read an account of how Vietnam vets were treated when they returned home, it makes me want to go out and find someone who spit on them, and smash their worthless face in.

I didn't know Australian Vietnam vets had the same problem when they returned home. I thought the leftist spitters were confined to the hippie movement in America.

God bless all the Vietnam vets no matter where they came from, and damn Walter Cronkite for throwing gas on the fire every night as American families sat down to watch the evening news after eating dinner.

[edzo4]

agreed, I went to see the memorial in DC last saturday to find my uncles name he was KIA 40 years ago next week, it was incredible, there were all these pictures and notes left from other soliders some just said things like “thank you tom” there was also a marine color gaurd that played taps and a flyover by a ch 53 sea stallion a ch 64 and an osprey, it was emotional to say the least, i am going to need to go back and spend a week to see the smithsonian etc.

[oh8eleven]

Another crazed Vietnam veteran story. Oh, boy.
I started our local VVA back around 1980, but quit in less than a year. Almost every vet in the organization had tons of personal problems and I assumed the war had contributed to those problems. Then I discovered 75% of the vets had never even been in-country.

[smedley64]

I saw the memorial the one trip I made to DC, many, many years ago. I just remember walking and walking, and the names never seeming to end. It's such a somber place, and a fitting memorial to our Vietnam vets. I'm glad they finally got something to memorialize the sacrfices they made for their nation, both for those who never made it back, and those who did and were never welcomed home the way they should have been. God bless your uncle.

I was born in 64, and as a child, one of my neighbors was a former helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Me and my brother were always fascinated by things that flew, and we'd try to get him to talk about his glorious flying days in Vietnam, sometimes to the point of pestering him, but he'd always gently say "I'm sorry boys, but I just can't talk about it..." All we knew was that he flew a helicopter in Vietnam, and that was enough to make him a hero to us.

[edzo4]

the WWII memorial is impressive as well there is a wall with 4000 gold stars one for each soldier lost, and around the back carved in stone is the Kilroy was here face peeking over

[jagusafr]

My dad flew F-4s out of Da Nang. I didn’t hear a single word from him about his experiences for over 25 years - until I went into the Air Force. Then he opened up - some. I find that there are some things we only feel comfortable talking about with other military members. For good or ill, we feel that civilians can’t relate.

Colonel, USAFR

[oyez]

We had the NVA on the ropes until Walter Cronkite started telling the world the war was unwinable. He should have been locked up for treason. I’m certain that somewhere in Hanoi, there is a display giving honor to him.

[smedley64]

Locked up? You’re far too kind.

[CrazyIvan]

The reason I keep this tagline. More people need to know how many of these bums are fake and how many normal achievers out there are real vets.

[North Coast Conservative]

If your dad is still alive, thank him for me and all of my brothers who felt the flash of heat from in front of us when the Phantoms came to the rescue.

In God We Trust.....Semper Fi

[jagusafr]

Will do - he’ll be tickled, as CAS was always his favorite mission.

Colonel, USAFR

[naturalman1975]

So 108 men fought off 2500 NVA?

Yes - with support from both New Zealand and United States artillery, and United States air support also disrupted the rear area of the enemy.

The Battle of Long Tan was an heroic Australian victory against immense odds - but there was a lot of support there.

President Johnson awarded D Company, 6RAR a Presidential Unit Citation.

By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.

D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on August 18, 1966.

While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong.

The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company.

The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army.