Discover Vietnam during the period 1960-1975. This time of war was a most divisive period of time for the countries involved. The division was between politics and the people. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen from the US, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and South Korea were sent to South Vietnam to assist in Defeating the Vietcong and forces of North Vietnam with the object of preventing the further spread of Communism to the South. History will show that the Free World Forces won the battles but politics and ignorance lost the war.

Vietnam is a country that had been at war for over 2000 years. The main enemy of the day was the Japanese. In 1940, after France had capitulated to the Germans, the Japanese, as allies of the Germans took control of Vietnam and used French Military facilities in their war against China. A Vietnamese called Ho Chi Minh founded the League for the Independence of Vietnam and started an active military resistance against France and Japan. His communist colleague, Vo Nyugen Giap, became commander of Ho Chi Minh forces, known as the Viet Minh. When the Japanese formally took control over Indochina they forced the French forces to leave. After the defeat of Japan in 1945 Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and tried to prevent the return of the French. He failed. After futile negotiations with the French, Ho Chi Minh returned to guerrilla warfare. Until Mao Tse Tung (or Ze Dong) established a communist state in China, Ho Chi Minh had little success. However, from then on his troops received training and modern weapons from the Chinese Communists. The war with the French got angrier and both side suffered some serious defeats. The French set up a plan whereby they were to draw the Viet Minh into a set piece battle where with their superior training and firepower would see a severe defeat for the Viet Minh. The place for the battle was to be Dien Bien Phu. Battle was joined on 13 March 1945 and carried on until the French surrendered on 7 May 1945. This battle cost the French 2,200 dead, 6,000 wounded and 6000 taken prisoner. Of those taken prisoner, just less than half survived the Prisoner of War Camp. The total French force was 15,000, including reinforcements. It is believed the Viet Minh suffered over 10,000 killed and more than 20,000 men wounded during the battle, of a force of 64,000. This defeat signalled the end of French Colonialism in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War, for the Free World, started in 1959-60 with the sending of Military Instructors to South Vietnam to assist in training their army to fight the Viet Cong. The Viet Congs tactics centered around terrifying villagers and city dwellers into doing their, the Viet Congs Bidding. This was achieved by murder and bombings. The plan was, by terror, to convince the South Vietnamese to reunite with the North and take on the Communist mantra.

Weapons from previous wars were bought to Vietnam and "improved upon" to create more chaos and destruction. Flame throwers were very helpful in clearing Viet Cong from their tunnel systems, but then again, so were the soldiers known as Tunnel Rats. Mines, known as "Claymore" were very destructive, especially in ambush situations.

The Viet Cong used the Jungle to their advantage and were able to hide from aircraft and helicopters with ease. The Americans came up with a defoliant known as Agent Orange and sprayed over vast amounts of the South Vietnamese jungle. This defoliant is still causing problems among the South Vietnamese people and the Vietnam Military Veterans of the Free World Forces.

The United States of America provided the bulk of the Armed Forces in South Vietnam to serve from 1965 through to 1975. By late 1968 the USA had more than 500,000 troops in South Vietnam. By this time the Free World and South Vietnamese troops totaled nearly a million.

Australia's entry into the Vietnam War began in 1962 with the deployment of 30 military advisors, known as The Australian Army Training Team Vietnam(AATTV). The buildup of Australian forces in South Vietnam began in 1965 with the deployment of 1 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment(1 RAR) to Bien Hoa. 12 months later the Battalion was replaced by 1 Australian Task Force(1ATF) consisting of 5RAR, 6RAR and other supporting Arms and Services. The Task Force was located at Nui Dat in Phuc Tuoy Province. In December 1967, 3RAR arrived to complete the buildup of the Austalian Force.