The commemoration of the Battle of Long Tan

Image above: Commemoration ceremony and dedication of memorial cross on the site of the Battle of Long Tan. Hi all The following media release from the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) should be of great interest to us regarding the 50th Anniversary of Long Tan this Thursday. As you know this is part of our tour and it would be great if you had some detailed background on the event and the commemoration activities.  I recommend that you listen and/or watch some of these happenings on the ABC. Cendall is actually there this week as the teacher chaperoning the Simpson Prize students in Vietnam and Samuel is in Canberra experiencing the commemoration events as part of the the Simpson Prize.  Thanks to Tim Hanna for passing on this media release information. ABC marks 50th Anniversary of Long Tan

Thursday August 18 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam and Vietnam Veterans' Day. To commemorate, the ABC will have special coverage from Canberra and Vietnam across the day on television, radio, mobile, social and online. Television ABC News Breakfast 6.00-9.00am on ABC & iview / 6.00-9.00am AEST on ABC News 24 Michael Rowland will co-host News Breakfast from the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. ABC News Special 9.30am on ABC & iview / 9.30am AEST on ABC News 24 Long Tan Preview hosted by Michael Rowland, ahead of the Commemorative Service at the Vietnam Memorial on Anzac Parade. Australian Story: What a Wonderful World – airs Monday August 22 at 8pm on ABC & iview Vietnam Veteran's Day Service 10.00am on ABC & iview / 10.00am AEST on ABC News 24 On Vietnam Veterans’ Day, a special Commemorative Service from the Australian War Memorial to mark 50 years since the Battle of Long Tan. For Australians, it was the Vietnam War’s most costly battle and most famous victory. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrave are expected to attend. ABC News will cross LIVE to Southeast Asia correspondent Liam Cochrane, filing from Long Tan across the day and night. Radio Radio National Throughout the week, Radio National programs including Life Matters, The Inside Sleeve, Earshot and Conversations with Richard Fidler http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/conversations/ will feature content focused around the Long Tan Anniversary. ABC Local Radio ABC Local and Regional Radio networks will highlight the stories of veterans from around the country, discussing their experiences of the battle, and looking at the long-term impact of their engagement at Long Tan. An extensive selection of Vietnam war-era music will support spoken content on all ABC Radio networks, and ABC Regional coverage will include a range of stories looking at the impact of the war on regional towns. Online and mobile ABC News Digital will deliver coverage across the day at abc.net.au/news as well as on the ABC app, Facebook and Twitter. International Coverage will include a digital piece, focusing on explaining the significance of Long Tan to international audiences and will also look at the impact of the war on South Vietnam and Vietnamese migrants in Australia. Videos https://tv.press.abc.net.au/abc-marks-50th-anniversary-of-long-tan#video20989 https://tv.press.abc.net.au/abc-marks-50th-anniversary-of-long-tan#image296983

What is the truth?

Image above: Troops travel on landing craft to board HMAS Sydney for their trip home in February 1972. The men were among the last members of the Australian Force Vietnam to return to Australia. [AWM FOD/72/0043/VN]

Vietnam War Myths, or not?

It is worth considering what the truth is when studying history – have a read of the Vietnam War Myths page on the Australian War memorial site. Such considerations are particularly important when we consider that contention and interpretation are important concepts and skills when studying history – what is the truth? This should always be asked and it often depends who we talk to or what sources of evidence we use. Your thinking on the Vietnam War will be challenged on the first day we are in Ho Chi Min City when we visit the War Remnants Museum. You will see some some very challenging images and read narratives that are quite different to what we read in Australia. Under such circumstances, as historians our role is to learn and consider before trying to think about the truth.  

"The truth is that real history was a lot more complicated than our popular understandings lead us to believe."  Marie Brennan  American author

 Some war machines outside the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Min City

While on the site have a look at some interesting and poignant Australians in Vietnam images from the war at http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/combat/index.php

This site http://vietnam-war.commemoration.gov.au/ provides plenty of excellent information on the role and participation of Australians in the Vietnam War.

Advertiser article

Advertiser article on 2 August 2016.

Then what happened?

Image above: An iconic image from the Vietnam War - the important role of helicopters for troop movements, supplies and medical evacuations


Chronological sequencing of the Vietnam War

In this posting I have selected some sites that provide timelines for the Vietnam War. I plan to forward via this blog small bits of information on a regular basis (about once a week) for you to look at prior to the trip. If you do the readings/watching I direct you to in the blog over the next two months you will have a really good understanding of what you are visiting when we are in Vietnam. I know you have plenty of schoolwork to do but if we do a little bit at a time in preparation for the tour, you will certainly be well briefed on the Vietnam War and associated aspects for our visit (some postings will be about Vietnam, the place). There is no test or assessment of all this reading/watching, just a chance for you to get the most out of the tour - up to you! I know that many of you are doing your own reading in preparation - keep that going but just keep an eye out for what I post to see if it provides information that you have not covered.

Other than keeping a journal on the trip, I am not planning to provide any worksheets or a workbook for you - this blog preparation is really that! Plus, I don't want your heads buried in booklets or filling in sheets when we are traveling - I want you look around and take it all in, using the knowledge and understandings about Vietnam and the Vietnam War you gain prior to the trip.

The chronological sequencing of events is a fundamental skill in history and this blog posting provides several timelines of event (for the American involvement and the Australian involvement in the Vietnam War). Such sequencing gives you an orientation of what happened over time - it is so important to get your historical bearings on happenings with any historical event - to know what happened in order. Probably not the most exciting historical task but very important when considering cause and effect.

American involvement timelines

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/timeline.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/timeline/index.html

Australian involvement timelines

http://www.vvaa.org.au/calendar.htm

https://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/vietnam