Student Material 6

Student material 6:

Back to the introduction…

Now that you have had a chance to think about Australia’s Vietnam War experience, re-watch the video clip of Redgum’s ‘I was only nineteen’:

How has your interpretation of it changed since you watched it the first time? How much of it do you connect with on this second watching?

What new information have you found that has helped your understanding?

What questions still remain?

How useful is this song as an historical source?

Extension/follow up

This activity will give you the opportunity to look closer at an aspect of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, or to conduct some biographical research into one of the soldiers who was killed at Long Tan.

Option 1: Evaluating significance

Select one of the following questions for research:

- How significant was the role played by the Royal Australian Navy in Vietnam?

- How significant was the role played by the Royal Australian Air Force in Vietnam?

- How significant was the role of nurses and medical staff in Vietnam?

Your research should help you to consider how Australians serving in Vietnam were affected by either the Navy, Air Force, or nurses and medical staff. You should also think about how many people were affected (quantity), and how far reaching were the affects (durability).

When bringing your research together you should be able to assess and evaluate the significance of your chosen topic in the Vietnam War.

Option 2: Biographical study

Using the Vietnam War commemoration site, and the Australian War Memorial’s Role of Honour, find out about one of the soldiers who was killed at Long Tan, or elsewhere in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/honour-roll/index.php

http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/honour-roll/profiles.php

You could present your information as if writing an article for a newspaper, or as an online tribute that includes images and other information about their experience in Vietnam.

Option 3: Annotated Map

Using a variety of resources, draw a map of Vietnam that shows the major operations undertaken by Australian forces. This could include the following:

- Location of arrival of the first Australians to serve in Vietnam

- Location of the base at Nui Dat and the logistic support base at Vung Tau

- Location of the Battle of Long Tan

- Location of the Battle of Coral Balmoral

The annotations around your map should include the relevant dates, as well as a brief paragraph outlining the significance or importance of each factor in the war.