A GRUNTS VIEW

A Diggers viewpoint of being at the sharp end. Gained while serving with 3 Platoon - 'A' Company -7 Battalion (Infantry) Royal Australian Regiment, as a Rifleman in Australia's war - fought in South Vietnam.  

Chapter 1 - Page 2 - Updated October 2013 - Next Page:- Orderly Room 3/35

"Not Suitable To Be A Soldier

 I stared at the stark words on Discharge Certificate. "Not Suitable to be a soldier".  I read the words out loud, thinking it was someone's idea of a sick joke. My hand shook with rage. Crumpling the certificate in to a ball, I threw it as hard as I could away from me. It was some time in 1977.

I had served in the Australian Army since ANZAC Day 1969. I had spent over eight years in the Australian Army, including two years as a Rifleman with 3 Platoon A Company 7RAR. I was a 'DIGGER'.

It was earned the hard way, with 7RAR in Vietnam during its 2nd Tour, from February 1970 to March 1971. What was it about my service all of a sudden, made me 'unfit' to be a soldier'? They certainly did not say that when I was selected for a five day Ambush patrol on the slopes of the Long Hai Mountains in Phouc Tuy Province close to my 22nd birthday?

Read that story on Page 19 'Night Move' This homepage is my attempt to make sense of my service in Vietnam. Perhaps when you have read some of the stories and my struggle after the war with PTSD you can answer the question, as to why the government thought I was 'unfit to be a soldier"??  

THIS HOMEPAGE WOULD LIKE TO:-

Interest Vietnam Veterans and educate those who are not. To assist those who wish to know the real story of Vietnam. Of the young men who went to war, developed the 'thousand yard stare'. Young men who served in Australia's longest war to date and who came home old men. So if you would like to know the Vietnam War from the view point of the Aussie fighting soldier, settle back, put your feet up, grab a cold beer and 'click' away.

To contact oink, use the email link at the bottom on each page, or leave a post in the Guestbook. The Guestbook link is on the Homepage. The email to contact the Author is at the bottom of each page.

The FULL site map is on Page 1. Some pages have one subject, other pages are made up of a few short stories. Each page will have a link that will take you directly to the next story on the site. Some stories mention an event and may have a bullet that will take you directly to futher information or events.

This Site will always be under construction. Some links will take you to other places. Please bookmark NOW to find us again!    

 WARNING

This site is about the Vietnam WAR. It contains images, story lines and language of soldiers, which is very graphic due to the nature of War. If you are 16 or under you will need your parents permission to enter the site and or correspond with the Author. Thank you.

The day we were leaving on that great adventure. If the me of today, could speak to that Digger would I go? I am the one with the big smile? Why? Don't ask me?

On my right is another 3 Platoon member, "Tommo".

I was very upset to hear that in April 2005 Tommo had passed away.

LEST WE FORGET

The package Tommo is carrying under his right arm is the spare barrel for the M60 Machine Gun.

This site is not an apology.

I had spent over 20 years pussyfooting around about my Vietnam Service. At one stage even removing the details from my Resume when applying for employment. Finally in 1997 when I was struggling to deal with the results of my time on Active Service I started to understand that I should see this Service with Pride and not deny it, or try and hide it.

My service includes 2 years with 3 Platoon, "A" Company, 7 Battalion (PIGS) The  Royal  Australian Regiment (RAR). This was from July 1969  to July  1971. On Active Service in VIET NAM; from February 1970 to March 1971. This view point is subject to the narrow perspective of an individual Digger. However I am working to develop the Students page; which will attempt to put the era in context and deal with wider issues of the Viet Nam War.

The Diggers I served with in 3 Platoon 'A' Company 7RAR, and the rest of the Battalion, for the time frame noted above, were and are, a special breed of men. It is clear that due to the selection process they men who joined the Army during the Vietnam War era particularly

Men who answered this nation when it called. It is these young men who upheld the Legend of the ANZACS. It is these young men who these stories are about. Ordinary Australians who performed Extraordinarily during their Service in South Viet Nam, during that long war, in the most difficult of all roles, an INFANTRY SOLDIER.

Those who do the hard yards at the sharp end, carrying their belongings on their back. This site has been written over a five year period and is close to being complete in 2007, about Three Platoon's experiences in South Viet Nam.

SYMBOLS used on this Site

The Australian Flag:

You might notice that the ANZAC Badge is in fact the ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES for WW1.

"SKIPPY"

Badge of the Royal Australian Regiment.

The Australian Army Badge for 'ACTIVE SERVICE' called the "INFANTRY COMBAT BADGE".  The ICB is a highly covered Award and it is being used in the ADF of the 21st Century to show those who served at the 'Sharp End. Young Diggers are wearing it for Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The medals L-R are:- Australian Active Service Medal 1945-75 with Clasp Vietnam. Vietnam Medal. The National Service Anniversary Medal. The Vietnamese Campaign Medal.

This will have to be updated as the Government in 2007 has given me a new medal; the Australian Defence Medal. (ADM)

MAROON

The PIG is 'WILLY', the Mascot of 7RAR during its Service to this Nation from 1966 to 1973 when it was joined with 5RAR to become the 5/7 Battalion RAR.

On December 3rd 2006 - 5/7 Battalion was de-linked and 7 BATTALION Royal Australian Regiment and 5RAR was reformed and returned to the Order of Battle of the Australian Army.

 The SLR my weapon of choice.

This is the RAR Memorial Cross.

It marks the Memorial Page on this site. Any time you see it you can move direct to the Memorial Page.

THIS SITE SALUTES THE ANZACS

Each page on the site will be Dedicated to a Digger who served on a Battlefield in the Service of this Country, in the Wars and conflicts this Nation has been involved with since World War One. See the Orderly Room Page for the Full List!