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Australian Soldiers In The Vietnam War Essay

454 Words2 Pages

The communist government of North Vietnam and its South Vietnamese allies, known as the Viet Cong, were the targets of a brutal war fought by the government of South Vietnam and its main partner, the United States. The conflict in Vietnam was known as the "American War" and involved the Soviet Union, the United States, and their allies. It was also a manifestation of the Cold War.

Many of those who went to serve Australia in the Vietnam war were conscripts. 9 million men and women were believed to have served. Of that 9 million, 60,000 Australian soldiers served in the Vietnam war. Over 1 million troops died during the battle, and 523 were Australians. Many young men who served in Vietnam struggled greatly to return to society.

Although most veterans did not suffer long-term effects from the conflict, 500,000–700,000 Vietnam War …show more content…

Yet, some people saw returning soldiers as dangerous, violent representations of a dreadful, pointless war.

When veterans returned home to Australia, they were rejected and ignored by fellow soldiers and the government. One aspect of this is exclusion from veteran social organisations, such as RSL (Returned and Services League of Australia) clubs. Australia had developed a strong sense of pride in the contributions made by its soldiers throughout World Wars I and II. Yet, some World War II veterans had hatred for their soldiers who served in Vietnam because they thought that the conflict there "was not a real war" and that they were merely there as a show for the American military.

Australians could have treated Vietnam Veterans better if they had been given the same resources as veterans in World War I and II, providing mental and physical support for the veterans. Another thing we could have done to help the Vietnam Veterans was to acknowledge and respect what they had gone

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