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BATTALION SITES FOR THOSE WHO SERVED
IN THE
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT IN VIETNAM
It is my Aim to provide
a full listing of sites and/or contacts of the 9 Battalions
that served with distinction in South Vietnam during Australia's
involvement in that long War.
ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT
To
Join the ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT ASSOCIATION, NSW Branch contact
Treasurer Brian Stannard at:- briannstannard@bigpond.com
ARE
YOU A 1 RAR DIGGER? Here are 2 great sites:-
www.geocities.com/first1rar
and:-
www.firstbattalion.au.com
ARE
YOU A 2 RAR DIGGER? (MISSING IN ACTION) Although there is no
Homepage for 2RAR there is a strong Association and Diggers
wishing to contact their old Battalion can write to:-
SECRETARY,
2RAR ASSOCIATION Inc, PO BOX 1097, TOOMBUL 4012
ARE
YOU A 3 RAR DIGGER? then visit:- http://www.angelfire.com/ok/thirdbattalion/index.html
ARE
YOU A 4 RAR DIGGER? then visit:- http://members.optushome.com.au/zunt1946
ARE
YOU A 5 RAR DIGGER? then visit:-
http://www.netspace.net.au/~harrison
ARE
YOU A 6 RAR DIGGER? the visit Garry McMahon's site at:- http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/garymcma
ARE
YOU A 7 RAR DIGGER? then visit:- This is the official site of
the 7RAR Association. Any Digger wishing to join the Association,
have a look at the site and contact the Association Executive Officer,
Mr Tony Keech.
Next function for the Battalion members is a
Parade at 1 RTB Kapook, the Soldiers Chapel for the Laying
to rest of the COLOURS of the Battalion on ANZAC DAY 2004.
http://www.7rar.asn.au
ARE
YOU A 8 RAR DIGGER? then visit:-
http://members.tripod.com/~bazilbrush/index-4.html
ARE
YOU A 9 RAR DIGGER? then visit:-
http://www.users.bigpond.com/brianv/index.htm
&
For 9RAR Queensland Branch
http://www.9rarqld.org ATTENTION HQ 1ATF & D&E
DIGGERS
who served in VIETNAM
Formation of HQ Company, 1ATF Association (NUI
DAT). All those Vietnam Veterans who served
in HQ Company 1ATF, Nui Dat and D&E Platoon Nui Dat, who
are interested in joining this Association are invited to contact
Eddie Tricker by:- letter; to Box 5147, Studield Post Office,
Wantirna South, Victoria 3152; by:--- telephone (03) 9801 7586
Email Eddie etricker@ozemail.com.au
Email John Burrows Burrows@upnaway.com
to sign up at the webb page:- http://www.diggerz.org/hq1atf
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Tibbo's site is now to be found here:-
It has a complete list of all those from Australia who fell
in Vietnam.
http://gunnersau.com/amp.html
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THE
CHERRY TREE WALK SITE;
http://aussievet7.homestead.com
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PANDORA
Please bookmark this site before you leave:-
Site Address for
Pandora is:- http://pandora.nla.gov.au/index.html
***********************************************************
"THE"
song about Vietnam by REDGUM.
I WAS ONLY
NINETEEN
Mum and Dad and Denny saw the passing
out parade at Puckapunyal
(It was long march from cadets).
The sixth
battalion was the next to tour and it was me who drew the card.
We did
Canungra, Shoalwater before we left.
And Townsville lined the footpath as
we marched down to the quay.
This clipping from the paper shows us young and
strong and clean.
And there's me in my slouch hat with my SLR and
greens.
God help me, I was only nineteen.
From Vung Tau, riding Chinooks, to
the dust at Nui Dat,
I'd been in and out of choppers now for months.
But
we made our tents a home, V.B. and pinups on the lockers,
and an Asian orange
sunset through the scrub.
And can you tell me, doctor, why I
still can't get to sleep?
And night time's just a jungle dark and a barking
M16?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it
means?
God help me, I was only nineteen.
A four week operation, when each step
can mean your last one
on two legs, it was a war within yourself.
But you
wouldn't let your mates down 'till they had you dusted off,
so you closed
your eyes and thought about something else.
Then someone yelled out "Contact"',
and the bloke behind me swore.
We hooked in there for hours, then a God
almighty roar.
Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the
moon.
God help me, he was going home in June.
1 can still see Frankie, drinking
tinnies in the Grand Hotel
On a thirty-six hour rec. leave in Vung
Tau.
And I can still hear Frankie, lying screaming in the jungle.
'Till
the morphine came and killed the bloody row
And the Anzac legends didn't mention
mud and blood and tears.
And stories that my father told me never seemed
quite real
I caught some pieces in my back that I didn't even feel.
God
help me, I was only nineteen.
And can you tell me, doctor, why I
still can't get to sleep?
And why the Channel Seven chopper chills me to my
feet?
And what's this rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it
means?
God help me, I was only nineteen. The song was written in the 70's, by a John Schumann and performed by him in the band called "Redgum".
It became a national hit and especially among Vietnam Veterans almost immediately.
It is still performed today whenever Veterans get together for a concert.
Just a few things that may help you understand the lyrics better.
Puckapunyal was a recruit-training centre and Canungra is a Jungle Warfare training centre.
Shoalwater was a place that the Army used for Military exercises.
The SLR was the personal weapon mostly used in Vietnam.
Vung Tau & Nui Dat were Aussie bases in Vietnam.
V.B. is Victorian Bitter a very popular Aussie beer.
Anzac is the acronym for the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps.
Well you
have reached Page Number 24, the end of the site but not the end of the story.
By the end of November 2003 I will be putting up
new photos and information on some of the pages and cleaning up the site generally,
oink 17/11/2003
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