Essay question - Research any two individuals or groups who served in the Vietnam War. What was their role and contribution? Why is it important to honour their service and remember this part of Australia’s wartime history?
The role of Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) during the Vietnam War involved conducting vital work that prevented thousands of fatalities and made certain equipment available to the troops to utilise. The RAE worked tirelessly to make it possible for the soldiers to fight for Australia’s freedom. More specifically, their role and responsibility in Vietnam included the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, the building of schools, vehicle repair, and aid for the civilians such as installing a safe water supply.
However, there was a far more dangerous task that was required of the RAE. This task was mine clearing. These meticulously hidden weapons were the reason for a large portion of the Australian fatalities in Vietnam. The North Vietnamese forces made extensive use of a variety of homemade booby traps. These included smaller
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This sacrifice must forever be engrained in Australia 's war time history because it shaped our identity as a nation who wholeheartedly supported the fight against communism, but then just as easily protested our involvement as soon as horrendous footage of the conditions in which our soldiers were living and fighting in was displayed on our TV screens. This war was the longest twentieth century conflict in which Australians participated in. This fact in itself is a strong reason why we must appreciate the degree in which Australia was committed to the Vietnam War. Current Australian society is a free and protected place thanks to the continuous defence from Australian forces in various conflicts. We must remember the lessons that Vietnam provided