The Anzac Spirit

The Vietnam War

If one studies any conflict from Vietnam to Iraq one thing stands out - how the Aussie Diggers tried to build relationships with the locals.

In Vietnam our men were held in very high regard even by the enemy - the Viet Cong - not only because of their fighting capabilities but because of their sense of fair play and mercy. These young Anzacs were never defeated in battle, even the battle of Long Tan, where 108 Diggers of D Company were surrounded by 2500 Viet Cong, mainly battle hardened veterans.

During the battle wave after wave of enemy troops were thrown back by these gallant young Aussies resulting in them inflicting huge casualties.

One officer, Ross Smith summed up the action this way: "….the comradeship, the valour …..the legend of Anzac upheld." But the young Anzacs were also held in high esteem by their Vietnamese foes because of their humanity, as this extract from 'The Battle of Long Tan' shows:

"It took three days to bury them (Viet Cong dead), with the constant hum of flies around. Burial was for humane reasons, and for hygiene. Captured VC documents later showed respect for the Australians because they buried the dead at Long Tan.

The document said: "They buried our dead, they are a true enemy".

In both World Wars the Germans also respected our men. One moment the Aussie Diggers were fearless, battle hardened opponents fighting tooth and nail. But once the battle was over they were the first to help the wounded with a kind word, a smoke or a drink of water.

Again let's go back to the story of the Light Horsemen. The young Anzac troopers were often touched and moved by compassion as to take some action. One particular event that stands out in my mind was when the Anzac forces were being pushed back from Amman by the Turks. As the Australians entered the city the local Christian and Jewish population went wild with excitement, much to the disapproval of the local Arabs who watched the celebrations with sullen disdain.

When the Turks prevailed in a counter-attack and the Anzacs were being forced to withdraw, the Christians and Jews feared for their very lives and so began to pack what belongings they could carry and fled with the retreating Light Horsemen. The night was bitterly cold and wet; the road they followed was steep and narrow as well as being rough and flooded. The refugees, burdened down with their children and belongings, gradually began to drop behind the young Anzacs as regiment after regiment passed them by. Gradually their anxiety and terror began to show as they contemplated being left behind to face the fury of their fanatical enemies.

Many of these Light Horsemen were so visibly moved by their pitiful plight that they dismounted from their 'walers' and hoisted the Jewish women and children up into their saddles. These gallant young troopers, despite many being wounded and exhausted from battle and no sleep, allowed these refugees to ride their horses while they walked alongside. That my friend is called 'mercy'!

3. "To walk humbly'

Another aspect that sums up the Anzac Spirit and the Aussie Digger is his humility. Australian uniforms are rarely gaudy, or given to the flashy types that some armies sport. Some nation's uniforms are smothered in brass and insignias with more ribbons and colours than a fruit salad. Even when it comes to acts of bravery Aussies are usually reluctant to take the credit, often insisting that they were just a part of a team, or it was "really my mates that should get the credit, not me."

When I was doing research I was amazed at the number of unclaimed medals that remain from both wars. Many Aussies never bothered to claim them. It's a part of the Aussie bloke's 'psyche' not to big note oneself. It's OK to big note someone else - just don't 'blow your own trumpet'.

Courage Is Part Of The Anzac Spirit.

It's sad to say but most Australians are completely unaware of how courageous and effective our soldiers were. It was our Light Horsemen who were largely responsible for the liberation of Jerusalem from centuries of Muslim rule. The first defeat of the mighty 'Desert Fox' - Erwin Rommel in WW11 was by 'The Rats of Tobruk' - comprised mainly of Aussie Diggers.

Likewise during the Korean War, almost a million Chinese troops poured over the border and swept the United Nations forces before them. The US Army was in full retreat and desperately needed some breathing space. It was the 3rd RAR (Royal Australian Regiment) - along with a few Canadian troops who were 'selected' to hold the line.

Our young men were told that they would have to hold the line against a hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops. Now work those odds out, yet these magnificent young Aussies held their ground for three days, thus buying the UN forces valuable time to regroup. The Regiment was awarded a US Presidential Citation for their heroic efforts in that battle.

But one of the most heroic achievements of our young Aussie Diggers was their magnificent efforts on the Kokoda Track in WW11. Japan had destroyed the powerful American fleet at Pearl Harbour - and conquered much of Asia - now suddenly the undefeated Japanese Army was right on our very doorstep.

With most of our soldiers fighting in the Middle East the nation was vulnerable. All that stood between us and the horrors of invasion by the hitherto invincible Japanese were a few hundred young Aussie diggers.

This story means a lot to me, my Uncle Alf Atkinson - my mother's brother [left] was one of these young men - he won the Military Medal for bravery at the battle of Gona.