Not enough footage of our diggers in Vietnam. This is great!

I would like to say thank you to all the Anzac's that fought in Vietnam alongside my nation. My father flew F-105's early in the war and on his second tour he transferred into the Super Sabre to do close air support. I recall him saying many times that he flew close air support for the diggers and he said they always fought hard and gave more than they received.

My late dad was a mamber of the AATTV. Training soldiers in Australia first for 2 yrs then his final year in Vietnam. He mostly worked with the Montagnards. He returned a Captain in '68 when I was 3. Unfortunately he was in so much agent Orange he had coronary heart disease, then a quadruple bypass at 42 and again at 52, then fighting prostate cancer and liver cancer then dieing of heart failure at 64. He stayed with the army a long while, becoming a Lt Col. Were very proud of him and the Team.

My nam vet father was a LRRP and had great things to say about his Aussie counterparts. Thank you for your service Aussies and Australia.

Aussies have always been there for us. Australia is probably our most loyal and dependable ally

@maxmulsanne7054

2 жыл бұрын

Them, the Brits, the Canadians and S. Koreans. Oddly enough Japan is a key ally as well given what's been going on with the CCP testing the tolerance of its' extension into the Pacific Ocean.

Terrific historical footage. Thank you to all of the diggers who served in Vietnam. While watching I was constantly reminded how anyone who hasn't served in the military doesn't quite understand how combat works. I think most people have an image that two opposing forces meet and slug it out. I don't think most people realise that there were very small Australian forces that had a designated region of Vietnam which was theirs to manage. These forces sent patrols out on their own into the countryside to perform specific tasks. It might be to patrol, it could be a show of force to the enemy, it might be to reconnoitre and find out what was happening. When an enemy is contacted a whole complex system of response was considered. Sometimes it might be to withdraw, other times it would be to bring in more firepower and personnel to engage and push the enemy out of the region. Sometimes, it might be to defend a location. The Australian forces in Vietnam, as in Iraq and Afghanistan today, had a very complex situation to manage and had to apply sophisticated strategies and techniques to succeed against a superior enemy in terms of numbers. So the perception that army diggers are just men with rifles and have no real skill is wrong. They are highly trained, intelligent, strong and capable men that learn a large range of skills, far beyond what most people need to learn in their jobs, and they have to apply those skill in physically and mentally stressful situations. I was enormously proud to see a documentary recently that showed old Vietcong soldiers talking about how they respected Australian soldiers because they were tough and skillful fighters but also because they treated civilians respectfully unlike other forces who treated all Vietnamese as the enemy. This to me says that the Aussie diggers were not only skilful soldiers but also capable of empathy.

To any of the old guys of 8 RAR who watch this video, all the very best from me. I was R.Signals with 1KSLI at Terendak, 68-69. Back to Blighty with the Advance party of then 3LI as they had changed to. I knew your Education officer John Hanoran who was a member of the Garison Amateur Radio Club where I used to go as well. I used to drink in the Sydney Bar along with the 8 RAR guys. Met a guy on R&R from Vietnam one day that John H and I had gone down to the bar for a drink. Poor fella was glad for some one to talk to as he was on his own. All the best from JC.

Dudes! Thanks for the effort with the video! I was an American Huey pilot in 1969 and we sometimes worked with your folks north of Vung Tau. I never spoke to anyone during my year that thought we had any idea what we were doing or that we were winning and certainly never, ever heard anyone talk about that horseshit of defeating communism. Being a Warrant Officer I never spoke to an enlisted man who thought we were winning or an officer who thought we were losing! That should provide a hint as to the delusion we were there under. Our Presidents lied to us constantly as they were quite the sacks of shit as it turned out. Thanks for the efforts of your soldiers but what a waste! Best of luck!

@sv6110

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for speaking truth..

💙🇺🇸✌️ Thank you ever so much Australia....My dad had so much admiration and Respect for all of the Australian Soldiers...Always been right by our side even during WWII in the Pacific. Love and Peace to all Our Brave Veterans always...🇺🇸✌️💙 We are all Stronger Together.....💙

@russellcoggins2311

Жыл бұрын

🌷🇭🇲

Thank God for Australia-America will always be with you!

Thank you, Australia for standing by us...even if it was fucked up. An American vet.

Australia always stood-by America. Excellent soldiers feared amongst the enemy.

Duty First,best small army in the world!!!!

So glad that they are on our side

I remember coming across an Australian soldier during gad Duty 19 70 Vietnam... they and the Koreans play a part.

I salute you, Diggers

Great documentary, respect those who severed in Vietnam. Good soldiers the Aussies (Diggers) along with New Zealanders (Kiwis)' I speak with some authority on this as former British soldier, in the REME

My dad was 2IC of Survey Corp at Nui Dat in 1968 . He also served at FSB Coral throughout the entire battle

Very informative. From a grateful USA citizen, I say thank you to all Australians and New Zealanders for your service. I see much of the equipment looks American, but not all obviously. I wonder if Australians trained at all in the USA, or if USA sent instructions in tactics and equipment to Vietnam? There had to be a great level of coordination. The Australians were extremely professional- were most Special Forces (like our Green Berets?) I do recall a video where the Australians were tracking tunnels, and they seemed very proficient at it. I think the USA is closer with Australia on global affairs, and I hope that role always continues. Thanks mates!

@SirBigzalot

2 жыл бұрын

Australians were used to training and fighting Jungle warfare which made them highly effective. Unfortunately the US weren’t so keen on fighting that way ie more conservatively but fought a more traditional war, a war of attrition ultimately. The British who had fought the VC between 46-49 had done so successfully due to their jungle warfare experience.

Thank you again for finding these videos and putting them online Martin.

@1Nivvy

5 жыл бұрын

All wars and particularly this one was such a waste of time and so negative for everyone.

True professionals

@damienthompson6596

5 жыл бұрын

Duty First

Amazing footage . Thank you.

the VC were scared of us Aussies

The real crime in this war, was the way these fine young men were treated when they got back home. Absolutely bloody disgusting. All our Vietnam veterans, men & women alike were fantastic ambassadors for our country, there blood is worth blotting. LEST WE FORGET.

Thanks Martin. Good to see.

Pretty good effort from producer, finally a lengthy video of original footage that has commentary of our Vietnam deployment

Superb documentery!

Yep and when they got back home they where not treated like hero’s Instead some bloody people demonstrating against them

Many thanks to those who served in Vietnam.

Aussies always have the coolest hats

I cant imagine being there

No choppers for us, it was T.C.V. trucks. 4RAR 1968.

Australians forever

Was that a 30 round Bren mag on that SLR at 6.39? Pretty sure it is. Ive used them myself. Another 10 is always good.

That was my job part of a team that used to keep those A P C running

Thanks great footage.

Maxwell Lachlan Rhodes and Don Cameron we all worked together at Lysaghts laboratory

I don`t believe this is 1968, maybe 66 or 67. I judge this by the webbing/packs worn. I was an Infantry soldier in 67 and the webbing/packs seen here were phased out a year or so before this. Later in this video i can see the type i wore

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THE PATT. 37 LARGE BACKPACKS,

VERY GOOD

"Long Tan" is what Americans think of when you mention the words Digger or Liney.

I noticed in a few frames what appeared to be extended magazines on some of the FN/SLRs, does anyone know if that is because they had been converted to a fully automatic weapon or was it just my eyes playing tricks. When I first joined the British military we had the SLR as our personal weapon and was only the single shot version with a 20 round magazine, that was heavy enough but if the Australian Diggers were carrying a fully automatic version with a larger capacity magazine then it must, especially in the Vietnamese conditions, have weighed the proverbial ton, not to mention the additional weight from spare magazines and boxed rounds, those Diggers were/are tough cookies. Excellent little documentary, thanks for sharing. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

@BJR1977

2 жыл бұрын

Yes you are correct.... there was a full auto version which was used a a squad machine gun

@gone547

2 жыл бұрын

30 rd mags from the heavy barrel, bipoded, full auto version of the SLR (L2a2)? The gun was not popular nor widely issued, but the mags were in high demand for obvious reasons.

doing this for an english documentary assesment and wondering who directed this

The work they did over there was truely amazing, they worked so hard and it wasn't just about killing the enamy it was also about looking after the civilians. Seeing them bag up the rice and choppering it all out of the bush was awesome. They worked so hard and then got called murders and baby killers when they got home. So discusting. Thank you to all Vietnam vets for your service and may all that gave thier lives on active service rest in peace.

I love how the Aussies give a smoke to the captured soldier. Almost like saying yeah war's shit we don't wanna be here and you deserve a smoke for this shit, sorry mate!

Wondering if that word changed by the 1990s. I worked in Cambodia with UNAMIC 1991 and an Australian unit was literally right next to us we became friendly they always refer to the guys who patrolled as" lineys".... Front liners.

Cool

I wonder what battalion this is...my old dad (Rod Smith) 2lt 1platoon A company 7RAR in 1967/68.. Then of assault pioneer and mortar platoon

@hardroaddavey5399

Жыл бұрын

5 RAR. The striped head band on their bush hats denote tiger stripes, their Battalion mascot

Always remember my pappy saying he was in awe of the Australian troops and how much better they were

They were excellent gurilla fighters In support of Vietnam conflict with the U.S. we should have taken lessons from them on gurilla tactics instructing U.S. grunts to use guerilla doctorine.

Duty First men,, LWF

He was an only son in the east Corrimal post office

Aussie Aussie Aussie go go go

Whats the deal with Australian soldiers not wearing helmets in the Vietnam war...with the footages/images ive seen they only wore those small brimmed hats, and slouch hats etc.

@WallyMcLeod

2 жыл бұрын

They wore the rag hats as it was better able to hear in a jungle situation. steel helmets caused a lot of noise if you brushed against undergrowth. I'm speaking from experience with two tours 1 and 9 RAR '65/66 and '68-1970

💚💛🇦🇺

hi. anyone know what unit this is. is it 7RAR?

@hardroaddavey5399

Жыл бұрын

5 RAR. The striped head band on their bush hats denote tiger stripes, their Battalion mascot

As I watch this I cry because these real men are disappearing at a rapid pace. Only sissy boys remain with all of their hatred.. God please help us

"Digger" ...one of those funny Australian, slightly dicky expressions...

The Australians.."were nothing to play with.."they gave just as good as they got.." they were not like the French..!!

Why the Aussie Soldiers doesn't wear a helmet? Only a cap.

@Saturnia2014

2 жыл бұрын

Someone in the thread explained that you can hear better when you wear a cap, a metal helmet inhibits the person from hearing things properly

Aussies really we’re there to help. That village would have been burned if Americans swept through. They were all VC in that village. It looked like Aussies used the FAL. That doesn’t look like an M16.

@hardroaddavey5399

Жыл бұрын

Australian infantry predominantly used the 7.62mm FN but also used the 5.56mm M-16

Max only 13 days there then came home in a body bag

Both killed while on duty.

Unfortunately there will always be war somewhere unfortunaly But be sure ya boys the aussies will be there to help the unfortunate

The Aussies were extremely good in psychological warfare. Americans are no where close.

Why don't diggers wear helmets?

@seanbayley7452

Жыл бұрын

Already been explained but I'll tell U it's cos the steel helmets prohibited U hearing properly

Wonder why diggers rarely seen wore helmets, unlike american or south vietnam troops

@seanbayley7452

Жыл бұрын

I think it was just from how dam hot it was

Couldn't they have got an AUSTRALIAN to narrate a documentary about Aussie soldiers and operations?

@MartinWalshDC

10 ай бұрын

The narrator is Australian.

if ya wanna know how USA screwed Australia read Falcon and the Snowman also made into a famous movie.

Why didn’t our Soldiers wear Helmets? 🪖 🪖🪖