Peter Pierce

Australia's Vietnam War

Today the mere mention of Vietnam conjures up images of protest in American streets and tensions so strong they divided a country. Yet the United States did not fight alone. Comparatively little is known about Australias experience–its motives for entering the conflict, national support for Australias role there, and how that nation dealt with the aftermath of war. Here, Jeff Doyle, Jeffrey Grey, and Peter Pierce chronicle Australias complicated involvement in Vietnam. Australias decision to participate in the conflict was part of a collective Western effort to stop Communist expansion. It was also a price willingly paid for assurances of American intervention in the event of an Indonesian attack on Australia. Through an evaluation of the literature arising from Vietnam, the manner in which Australia memorialized its fallen veterans, and other expressions of the wars influences, this book offers important insights into the healing process nations face following such conflicts.

Vietnam days : Australia and the impact of Vietnam

chart some of the forms which Australian representations of the war have taken. The book is divided into two sections, each coniaining three separate but related chapters. Part 1 sifts through the myths surrounding Australian involvement in the war. Ian McNeiil considers the australian Armys involvement in Viemam and analyses strategic planning and operational performance against the background of what is now known about the war. He outlines the developments in Australian defence policy at the time that led to involvement in Vietnam and examines the deployment of the Australian task force in Phuoc Tuy province and its role. In particular, McNeill seeks