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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006 General Board Posts >> Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
        
(Message started by: Barry_T_Coles on Aug 18th, 2006, 4:50am)
Title: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Aug 18th, 2006, 4:50am
Australian Vietnam veterans attended ceremonies today around Australia to remember their fallen mates in the battle for Long Tan.

The Political Party in power at the time of committing our lads to this theatre of war have only now  “ 40 years later “ had the guts to stand up and say thank you.
This proud Aussie has been saying thank you to my brother and my mates from the day they pulled on the slouch hat.
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/vietnam/longtan.html

Barry
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by Bob P on Aug 18th, 2006, 6:58am
I remember the evening an Aussie ship showed up on the Bassac River off our base at Binh Thuy.  Some of the crew had come to our club and put a big dent in the beer supply.  These guys were out in the road playing tackle football (maybe it was rugby) but were having a great time tackling each other on the asphalt.

I got to know one guy named Bundy, or Booooooondy as he pronounced it.  Took me out to their ship and gave me some Aussie cigarettes.  Heck of a good bunch of guys.

Welcome home my Aussie brothers and thanks!
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by maffumatt on Aug 18th, 2006, 7:28am
Welcome home and Thank you.
Matt
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by Barry_T_Coles on Aug 18th, 2006, 8:00am
Hi Bob

Thanks for your reply; it’s given me an idea for a thread that could be interesting.
What names are given to our neighbors over the border from us?

Your description of the bloke you got to know could mean that he was from the state of Queensland where the famous Bundaberg Rum is made and blokes from that state often get given the nick name of Bundy and the fact that rugby is the state game there but your pronunciation of Booooooondy probably comes from the Ausieism Boondy which means a fist size hard rock and is descriptive of the personality of the bloke meaning that he is as tough and as solid as a rock and quite often a softie inside.

Kind Regards
Barry
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by zwibbs/Scott on Aug 18th, 2006, 9:13am
Hey Barry---I posted a reply , then went to modify it and must have pressed the remove button.  66 was too early for me. I know what you mean as one guy actually saved me when we were on patrol. I never saw this group coming ( night time) He just tugged me down and they walked twenty feet from us. I was afraid they would hear my heart beat. Greatest bunch of guys, we always keep in touch.
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by Bob P on Aug 18th, 2006, 10:13am

Quote:
he is as tough and as solid as a rock and quite often a softie inside.

Describes him perfectly!
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by BobG on Aug 18th, 2006, 10:42am
I was at the 9th Infantry Division base camp Bearcat in '68. Next door to us was an Aussie mechanized unit. Those guys would often come to our NCO club (which was not much more than a squad tent). They liked the American beer and would usually bring along a case or 3 of their beer for trade. I can’t remember the name of it, something like Queen’s Best or Queen’s Favorite? It was pretty good stuff.
Those guys sure liked getting pissed and were very good at it!  :D
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by vietvet2tours on Aug 18th, 2006, 12:10pm

on 08/18/06 at 10:42:21, BobG wrote:
I was at the 9th Infantry Division base camp Bearcat in '68. Next door to us was an Aussie mechanized unit. Those guys would often come to our NCO club (which was not much more than a squad tent). They liked the American beer and would usually bring along a case or 3 of their beer for trade. I can’t remember the name of it, something like Queen’s Best or Queen’s Favorite? It was pretty good stuff.
Those guys sure liked getting pissed and were very good at it!  :D
And they brought us sheep burgs with a egg on top.
Title: Re: Vietnam Vets remember Long Tan.
Post by tanner on Aug 18th, 2006, 2:12pm
Barry, I just wanted to add my Welcome Home and Thank You to all of the brave Aussie's that shared that little tropical adventure with us.

like BobP i had the opportunity to do some beer trading with you lads and to this day i believe anyone that will give up fosters for schlitz on a can for can basis is nuts or a glutton for punishment ;;D. The only other Australian beer I remember was Reschs or something like that and it was crap.

i will hand it to you , when it comes to picking out base camps Vung Tau was a brilliant place for your brass to hole up ;)

at a time when the whole world seemed to be against you, even your own countrymen you and the Thai troops and the ROK marines were truly our brothers, (I consider the ARVN's to be part of the enemy camp) . I know that I am leaving out some fine men and women from other countries, but at the time I was their the ones mentioned above were all I saw.

I would love to take you to the Wall sometime and to the part of the Smithsonian that pertains to war and includes examples of our gratitude to you and yours.

Cheers....Tim


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