ISSUE 70 : May/Jun - 1988 - Australian Defence Force Journal

48 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNAL No. 70 May/June 88
mentioning names, dates, places and by the use
of anecdotes we become familiar with the players
in this real-life drama. Once the reader is
gripped by the battle it is a hard book to put
down.
On the debit side I found two minor faults.
One is the frequent use of grid references, but
no gridded map of the whole area is provided.
Small ones of grid square size do appear on
page 49 and 97, but these are inadequate.
The second fault results from my own
sensitivity to criticism of National Service Officers
(having been one myself)- For instance,
Brian Hall remembers 2nd Lieutenant Gordon
Sharp as a "young officer who didn't know
anything ... (he even) didn't know how to
pack his gear!" Yet in battle (and after good
training with his battalion, Brian recognises the
ability of his commander when he states on
page 52 that "we all worked very well together.
That control came from Sharp, down through
the Section Commanders, and after he was killed
the control was still there in Bob Buick, who
took over the platoon". Perhaps it is a recognition
that the cinematic image of the bumbling
brand new officer developing through training
to become a competent commander in battle is
not too far from reality. Perhaps we must all
learn that we must earn the respect that no rank
can grant.
The book is a vivid desciption of a battle for
survival in which eighteen Australians died. I
make no excuse for my admiration of those
who fought at Long Tan; they are heroes and
deserve to be recognised as such. However, I
am curious to ask how many of those who
survived, now suffer psychological problems
resulting from the experience? Judging from
the words of the combatants themselves they
appear to be a well adjusted lot, bound by the
comradeship of danger, their unit and their
unique place in Australian history. Perhaps it
is not battle but boredom which brings mental
problems or the bitterness of returning to Australia
and seeing the truth distorted and your
sacrifices maligned. Such was the price the Australian
soldier had to pay.
Lex McAulay's book should be required
reading for all soldiers and Australians, not just
ex-moratorium marchers interested in the truth.