The part played by Australian and New Zealand troops in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) is sometimes overlooked; but it is generally accepted that the 'Diggers' and 'Kiwis' were among the most effective and professional troops involved. Drawing upon the ANZACs' long experience in the jungles of South East Asia, the men of the Task Force used their expertise in patrol tactics to great effect to frustrate Viet Cong operations. Meanwhile the ANZACs' small and isolated adviser teams spent ten years passing on their skills all over South Vietnam, and in the process four were awarded the supreme decoration for valour - the Victoria Cross. This book pays tribute to their military prowess, and describes and illustrates their uniforms and equipment in unprecedented detail.

'thoroughly researched and compelling . . . a chilling account' - The Sun Herald An eye-opening account of Australian combat history, untold . . . until now. In 1969 a ragtag unit of 39 men were thrown together at Nui Dat, Vietnam. It was so slapdash a group it didn't even have an officer or sergeant in charge. A rugged ex-Royal Marine stepped forward to take the lead. Jim Riddle was only an acting corporal but he knew enough of war to keep these young diggers alive. When the platoon was involved in a high-risk ambush Riddle proved his leadership skills, bringing his men through unscathed and leaving the battlefield littered with enemy bodies. Despite their success, immediately afterwards the platoon was disbanded. According to the army they'd never existed ? theirs was a ghost platoon. Frank Walker details what happened at that ambush and why the army buried their existence, and the secrets that went with it. His findings are a shocking indictment of the long-term effects of war. The men of the platoon ? who'd fought so hard for their country ? had to fight again to reveal the truth. But the price they all paid was far too high. Ghost Platoon is a gripping story of the soldiers who should never be forgotten . . . or denied.

This book makes the first real assessment of what the Vietnam War meant, on the battlefields and in Australia. When the first Australian troops landed on Vietnamese soil, the significance of the conflict was scarcely realised - but in time it was to affect not only tens of thousands of Australians who served in Vietnam, but an extraordinary cross-section of people at home. Debate about the war continues two decades later - and this book provides the vital answers about how Australia got involved in Americarsquo;s war; what happened to our troops in Vietnam; the way protest against the war built up on the home front; how the lsquo;Vietnam erarsquo; - the sixties and early seventies - impinged on Australian attitudes; how Australia received its Vietnam veterans on their return. It also looks at our countryrsquo;s relationship with the Vietnamese, now that many live in Australia. A top team of experts show in this book that the Vietnam War had far-reaching effects on Australiarsquo;s foreign policy, national politics, and social attitudes. Some of the controversies it provoked have spread beyond the years 1965-1971, when Australia was directly involved. This thorough, fascinating account tells the whole story of the Vietnam conflict, abroad and in Australia. It contains the Roll of Honour of those who died as a result of the Vietnam War; and it ends with a fourth edition of the lists of those who served in Vietnam.

Vietnam: Or War - Our Peace brings together 44 stories from the Vietnam veteran's community.

This book reveals the evolving US, Viet Cong and NVA tactics at battalion level and below throughout the Vietnam War. Beginning with a description of the terrain, climate and the unique nature of operations in this theatre of war, the author, a Vietnam veteran himself, goes on to explain how unit organisation was broken down by combatant forces and the impact this had on the kind of tactics they employed. In particular, the author highlights how units were organised in reality on the battlefield as opposed to their theoretical tables of organisation. US tactics included the standard US tactical doctrine as prescribed by several field manuals and in which leaders and troops were rigourously trained. But it also reveals how many American units developed innovative small unit tactics specifically tailored to the terrain and enemy practices. In contrast, this book also reveals the tactics employed by Viet Cong and NVA units including their own Offensive Operations, Reconnaissance, Movement Formations and Security, and Ambushes.

Over the eight years of the Vietnam War, US forces used three major types of equipment sets, with numerous modifications for particular circumstances. Different equipments were also used by Special Forces, the South Vietnamese, and other allied ground troops. Vietnam War US & Allied Combat Equipments offers a comprehensive examination of the gear that US and allied soldiers had strapped around their bodies, what they contained, and what those items were used for. Fully illustrated with photographs and artwork detailing how each piece of equipment was used and written by a Special Forces veteran of the conflict, this book will fascinate enthusiasts of military equipment and will be an ideal reference guide for re-enactors, modellers and collectors of Vietnam War memorabilia.

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