Essay On Australia's Involvement In The Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, the opposing oppositions sides, the north and south, gathered allies to aid them in their conquest. The South of Vietnam associated with Australia, South Korea and United States. Whilst the north sided with the Soviet Union and China. There were many other communist that supported the north and non-communist allies that supported the south wasn’t as big of a part. The war started in 1954 and lasted a brutal 19 years commencing in late April 1975, but Australia didn’t join the war till 1962. Almost 60,000 veterans served Australia, which includes ground troops, air force, navy personnel and nurses. 521 died as a result of the war and over 3,000 were wounded. The war started because North Vietnam was under the control of a communist government and South Vietnam was not. The leader of the North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, wanted to spread communism to the whole of Vietnam, therefore uniting North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The …show more content…
The RAN performed a variety of operational tasks at sea, ashore and in the air. The primary roles that they played during the war was for the naval vessels to ferry troops to and from logistic base and to serve on the ‘gunline’ where they provided naval gunfire against ground targets to support the Australian and united states troops. Another job that was conducted by the RAN clearance drivers dispose of unexploded ordnance and to keep shipping safe from enemy mines and attacks by frogmen. The Royal Australian navy not just served in the water they served in the sky as well. The RAN helicopter flight Vietnam flew combat operations. Throughout the 10 years that the RAN forces served in the war, 8 officers and sailors were killed and another 46 were either wounded or underwent other injuries. By how much the Royal Australian navy members did during the war earned the respect of the allies and Australian