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246 THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY AND THE VIETNAM WAR 1962–1972 In the Territorial Forces, and the Regional Forces in particular, our warrant officers were especially suited. Their environment was the rifle company which they knew well. They were seasoned man-managers and knew how to get things done. Unfortunately they could not be spared from other duties until mid-1970 by which time it was probably too late. They did, however, make a notable contribution in the Delta where their sound military knowledge, freshness of approach and skill in minor tactics paid dividends. Service with special forces added a further dimension. They were accepted on equal terms by the elite units of the US Army. In the lonely outposts, on long patrols and accompanied by soldiers who were not even accorded the status of citizens, and all the time isolated form the reassuring support of their countrymen, they performed with distinction. Veterans of the Team express two deep-felt concerns or regrets. The first concern relates to the wide variation in resolve and performance within the units they were supporting. Suspicion, divided loyalties and self-interest resulted in a jumble of organisations, fragmented effort and a grossly unequal sharing of sacrifice. Despite exemplary performance by some units, and a genuine opposition by many in the South to any form of communism, it seemed to many of us that the South Vietnamese would never come to grips with the war they were fighting. In part this was the result of the lack of widespread appeal of the Vietnamese government when compared with the revolutionary fervour of the other side. Another may have been the self-defeating influence and presence of allied forces which appeared to many to have replaced the French. Other reasons probably included the favouring of Catholics, the corruption of leaders, the inefficiency of many officers and the effectiveness of the enemy. While war weariness and casualties were offered as reasons, the other side suffered similarly but did not reduce their resolve. The regret, indeed tragedy, was the apparent abandonment of the South Vietnamese by the allied withdrawal. Although the South’s forces were more capable in 1969 than they had been seven years earlier, their foe was also stronger. The haste of the withdrawal and the inability of the South to fill the gaps, particularly once America withdrew its guaranteed air support, represented a major blow to those advisors who saw their former units submerged in the eventual debacle. The natural tendency of the Training Team was to stress individual skills, small unit activities, patrolling and night operations. Although small in numbers, they represented a major investment, containing enough officers almost to man a battalion and the full warrant officer complement of the nine-infantry battalions of a division. Of the 990 who deployed, 33 were killed and 122 wounded. The Team was highly decorated: 113 Imperial honours were awarded, including four Victoria Crosses as well as 245 American and 369 Vietnamese awards. The Team also received the US Army’s Meritorious Unit
THe AUSTrAlIAN ArMy TrAININg TeAM VIeTNAM Commendation and the Vietnamese Cross of gallantry with Palm Unit Citation. The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam did all that was asked of it and much more than anyone expected. The range of its experience stands alone in Australian military history. 247
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THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY AND THE VIETNAM
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Contents Preface vii Contributors x
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Preface Vietnam was Australia’s l
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PReFACe whose behalf and alongside
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CONTRIBUTORS which he was joint edi
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CONTRIBUTORS Command and General St
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CONTRIBUTORS Barry Smith was conscr
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Introduction Lieutentant General Pe
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The Vietnam Syndrome: A Brief Histo
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THE VIETNAM SYNDROME: A BRIEF HISTO
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP support in
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP had stated
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP This patte
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP of the Fed
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP targeting
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP was intere
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP Between Mc
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CONVERSATIONS AT THE TOP least your
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The Higher Direction of the Army in
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The hIGheR dIReCTION OF The ARMy IN
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The TrAInIng oF The AusTrAlIAn Army
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TRAININg foR SeRVIce IN SouTh VIeTN
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PRePARING ARMOuReD uNITS FOR OVeRSe
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THe deVeLoPMeNT oF THe AusTrALIAN A
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dOCTRINE, TRAININg ANd COMBAT WITH
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AUSTRAliAN TASk FORce OPeRATiONS iN
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme Vietnam. for
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme By 1963 the A
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme of Staff, ‘
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme To the south,
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme Bewildered by
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme the ARVN was
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fIGHTING AGAINST TIme Decreased fun
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS and under the
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS military build
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS out of America
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS was no comfort
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS Until the summ
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS Korean soldier
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS in the south.
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS children to gi
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS South Korean u
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS in the Lunar C
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS remark, which
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS estimate, he h
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS to official gu
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THE mAKING OF TIGERS the 70s, Korea
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NeW ZeALAND’S COMMITMeNT OF INFAN
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Page 213 and 214: NeW ZeALAND’S COMMITMeNT OF INFAN
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Page 217 and 218: Meeting the Challenge of Training a
Page 219 and 220: MEETING ThE ChALLENGE OF TRAINING
Page 221 and 222: MEETING ThE ChALLENGE OF TRAINING I
Page 223 and 224: MEETING ThE ChALLENGE OF TRAINING T
Page 225 and 226: MEETING ThE ChALLENGE OF TRAINING F
Page 227 and 228: ANZAC Battalions: Australian Experi
Page 229 and 230: ANZAC BATTALIONS: AUSTRALIAN ExPERI
Page 247 and 248: The Role and Impact of Civil Affair
Page 249 and 250: THe ROLe AND IMPACT OF CIVIL AFFAIR
Page 253 and 254: Liaison Detachment THe ROLe AND IMP
Page 259 and 260: THe AUSTrAlIAN ArMy TrAININg TeAM V
Page 261 and 262: THe AUSTrAlIAN ArMy TrAININg TeAM V
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Page 267 and 268: ADVISoRS AND oPTIMISM In late 1961,
Page 269 and 270: ADVISoRS AND oPTIMISM eventually de
Page 271 and 272: ADVISoRS AND oPTIMISM Compounding t
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Page 281 and 282: Becoming the 3rd XV: The Citizen Mi
Page 283 and 284: BECOMING THE 3RD XV conventional wa
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Page 297 and 298: The Australian Army and the Vietnam
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THE AUSTRALIAN ARMy AND THE VIETNAM
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HoW HISToRy WoRKS: AFTERTHoUGHTS Al
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