Vietnam Our Stories

Collected here is the living history of the Vietnam War; the stories, yarns, reflections, anecdotes and more of the men and women who experienced the war firsthand. It was the war that divided not just South East Asia, but also the United States, Australia and other allies. Vietnam: Our Stories tells the history of the war through the eyes of those who lived it, and includes funny, wry, sombre and powerful memories, insights, untold tales and thoughts that reflect what the 50,000 Aussies who went to Vietnam went through. Many histories are told through the memories of top brass but Vietnam: Our Stories is a dinkum account that as near as possible captures the spirit of Vietnam Diggers as the war retreats from the memory of some people, but remains alive to so many others. Ken Foster and Kevin Childs want to preserve those memories and the spirit of Aussie mate ship in the best way possible in this tribute.

Ken Foster arrived at Vung Tau, South Vietnam on HMAS Sydney on 3 February 1968 (the first days of the 1968 TET offensive) and a few days later flew by RAAF aircraft to Saigon. He was posted to HQ Australian Force Vietnam in Saigon as a Sgt clerk to the Deputy Assistant Director Supply and Transport (DADST). In May 1968 he was seconded to the Australian Task Force Forward Maintenance Area at Fire Support Base Coral and remained there until the final road withdrawal of the Fire Support base. Kevin Childs is an author, editor, university lecturer, journalist and media consultant. A former Sunday newspaper Editor and for many years a senior writer with The Age, he lectures in literary journalism and feature writing at RMIT University.