John Harris was 20 years-old when he was selected for one of the first intakes of the National Service Scheme for the Vietnam War.
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The scheme called for young men to serve two years in the Australian Army and another three years in Reserves.
Men who were due to turn 20 between January 1 and June 31 1965 were required to enter their name for the ballot.
John, who is now the Deniliquin RSL Sub-branch president, said he was one of 4200 young men selected to serve in the scheme.
It eventually saw him sent to Vietnam.
With this month marking 50 years since the final Australian troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, John has agreed to recall his own experience in the war.
“My birth date fell in the first six months of the scheme, and I decided to comply and register,” Mr Harris said.
“My parents, along with the parents of my peers, were members of the generation that had lived through two World Wars and a crippling depression, yet still managed to set us up with the best of everything.
“They sacrificed a lot for our benefit and didn’t raise whingers.
“So most of us who were called up felt that if this was what our country asked of us, we'd make the best of it.”
John completed his necessary interviews and medical exams before entering the second recruit Training Battalion (2RTB) at Puckapunyal on July 1, 1965.
He spent the following 10 weeks in recruitment training, which he said included a “suspect haircut, several needles, a lot of exercises in full gear and parade ground etiquette”.
“We were introduced to the Army's discipline, code of ethics and weapons skills, while searching for the best method to remain unnoticed on a parade ground,” he recalls.
“When we completed training I was promoted to Private.
“That was the only promotion I ever got during my entire Army service.”
John was allocated to the Infantry Corps and posted to 2RAR in Enoggera, Brisbane which was “perhaps the best situation for an army barracks in the country,”
An introduction in to infantry practices made John proficient in weapon handling, bush-craft and the fitness needed to perform in the infantry.
“At this point we had completely merged into the Army and demarcation between regular and ‘Nasho’ was non-existent and never raised.”
Following Christmas leave, John was relocated to 5RAR in Holsworthy in February 1966.
He was immediately thrown into intense training to prepare for service in Vietnam.
By this time John was a member of D Company 5RAR, in an infantry section, serving as a rifleman and machine gunner.
Following the final part of their training, the soldiers were given leave to spend time with their loved ones before being posted to Vietnam.
It was during this time John proposed to now wife Jan.
And then he left for Vietnam on May 2, 1966.
“D Company flew into Saigon via Manilla on Singapore Airlines, and then choppered down to Vung Tau where we were among the first arrivals,” he said.
“We acclimatised and set up the camp.
“A fortnight later the battalion was choppered to Nui Dat and set about securing the area for the Task Force.”
John and his fellow soldiers remained on constant patrol for the next few weeks, to secure the area.
After one month they were given permanent positions.
Shortly after 6RAR arrived with another battalion on the ground.
“It was a busy year.
“I mostly spent it outside the wire, keeping the enemy wrong footed.”
On August 18 1966, 6RAR met and stopped a regimental sized force in the Long Tan rubber plantation and an important victory was won by the actions of the soldiers of 6RAR.
The next day John and his fellow D Company 5RAR arrived at Long Tan and were part of the sweep of the battlefield, and the pursuit of the retreating enemy.
“As the year progressed the soldiers continued to patrol and stay busy outside the wire until time passed and our tour of duty came to an end.
“We were relived of duty by 7RAR in May 1967 and sailed home on HMAS Sydney.
“We landed at Sydney, marched through the streets, said goodbye to our mates and were flown home to our capital cities.
“It would not be until the 1987 Welcome Home Parade in Sydney before most of us would see each other again.”
After touching down at Essendon Airport, John has a month off before returning to the Army at Watsonia to receive his discharge.
“My experience was fairly typical of many young Australian men, whether regular or national servicemen,” he said.
“But 50 years on, on Vietnam Veterans Day, we remember those who didn’t come home along with all who served.
“We also remember those who stood by us and everyone who served in the Australian Military Forces during the time of the Vietnam War - whether in the Army, Navy or Royal Australian Air Force, whether National Service or regular, whether serving overseas or on home soil. Each supported the other.
“Everyone gave more than what was asked of them.
“More often than not, the difference in where a person was posted, was, as with everything at that time, more down to the luck, or the lack of it, of the draw.”