ISSUE 3 : Mar/Apr - 1977 - Australian Defence Force Journal

*4 DEFENCE FORCE JOURNALto lose their neutrality and alls themselveswith the enemy, it is so easy, so enticing, tosimply withdraw into your miserable shell,forgetting everything other than the futileattempt to stay dry. It was in just this typeof situation that my Aussie displayed his owncourage and determination. He said, "Anyfool can sit like a lump in the rain. It takesa proper soldier to live and fight in this muck!"I listened, I learned. I changed my socks,drank my tea, shared the "CARE" packageshis wife sent from Sydney, and learned, onceagain, to laugh in spite of myself. With Mr.Smith's help, 1 fought and won the battleagainst the North Vietnamese, the weather,and my own self-pity.Another point that he drove home was anobvious one, but one that has been frequentlyoverlooked. Simply put, it was this: Americanscan learn something from their allies. Toomany Americans have felt, as I did, that "Madein U.S.A." stamped on a piece of equipmentnecessarily made it a superior product. Thispoint of view is not only shortsighted, but isalso an indicator of the "tunnel vision" thatcan afflict soldiers of any nationality. Over thepast few years, 1 have seldom missed an opportunityto expound on this theme to my fellowAmericans. As a teaching point, 1 will oftenpull my handy Australian-issue ration canopener from my pocket. Although similar tothe American type, the addition of an extrainch of tin provides not only a spoon, but theleverage needed to open a can of army rationswithout cursing. Want another example? Considerthe fact that a pair of Australian armyboots is still a status symbol among Americanveterans of Vietnam. Those Americans whomanaged to "acquire" a pair of these willnot part with them. Talk to an Americanhelicopter pilot about the advantages of theAustralian metal cargo net and you will hearthe oft-repeated comment, "Why don*t wehave that piece of gear?" Of course, thepoint to be made here is not that Australiansmake a good can opener. I am talking aboutan appreciation of what we can learn fromothers if we will but try.As the end of Mr. Smith's tour of dutyapproached, we spent many evenings talkingabout his home and the family in Australiathat he was so anxious to see again. One night,shortly before he left, out talk was broken bythe distant, but unmistakable plop, plop, plopof mortar rounds leaving their tubes. We werealready diving for cover when the first 82-mmrounds began exploding in the centre of thetroop's night position. Soon, ground flaresbegan to pop as North Vietnamese sappersand infantry assaulted the thin circle of barbedwire ringing our perimeter.During the next four hours, we fought off asuccession of enemy ground attacks. On severaloccasions, the enemy breached our defencesand fighting took place at close quarters.It was during the last enemy assault that Ilooked up from my radio just in time to seea North Vietnamese running toward us with agrenade in each hand. Firing his weapon ata cluster of sappers on the other side of ourperimeter, Mr. Smith did not see the dangerapproaching from behind. Thanks more to luckthan to marksmanship, I was able to hit theNVA soldier with several rounds from mypistol. Knocked off his feet by the heavy .45calibre slugs, the NVA slid to a stop at theAussie's feet. I think 1 will always rememberthe flash of my friend's smile when, after aquizzical look at the dead man, he turned andsaid, simply, "Good on ya', Mate." This shortphrase, coming from the professional that Ihad come to admire so much, meant moreto me than he will ever know.It was with real sadness that I bid farewellseveral weeks later to this man who had taughtme so much. Both of us talked past the lumpsin our throats as he boarded the helicopterthat would carry him on the first leg of hislong trip home. As soldiers of previous warscan testify, the bonds between soldiers of twonations fighting side by side can become exceptionallystrong. Forged of friendship andmutual respect, these ties and the lessons thatcan be learned from one another should neverbe taken lightly. In my view, they may wellbe priceless. Today, as 1 look back on myexperiences in Vietnam, the unpleasant thoughtsare less distinct, the recollections of good timesgrow ever stronger. Running through manyof my memories is the picture of that smilingprofessional soldier from Australia. I won'tforget the lessons he taught me. My Aussie,who, without knowing it, paid me his greatestcompliment with the simple phrase, "Goodon ya', Mate!"U