The Happiest Refugee (Memoir by Anh Do)

The Vietnam War was the longest major conflict in which Australia was involved. Australian forces served in Vietnam from 1962 until 1973. It was also probably the most controversial as, towards the end of Australia’s involvement in the conflict, opposition increased, resulting in large protest marches in major Australian cities.

The Vietnam War was the first war to be televised. Real footage from the battlefront was regularly shown on the evening television news, giving many Australians first-hand and often graphic insights into the war and warfare.

It was also a war where new weapons, especially chemical weapons, were used. The effect of these weapons on Vietnamese villages and people was devastating. More than 72 million litres of toxic chemicals were sprayed in Vietnam and over 50 per cent of the mangrove forests were destroyed. In just two years, 1968 and 1969, over 2 million tonnes of bombs were dropped by the American and Australian air and naval forces. Over the entire conflict, this total was over 14 million tonnes of bombs. Over 80 per cent of

Vietnamese people were farmers, so the shelling and deforestation of farmland left many Vietnamese not only without a home but also without a livelihood. Approximately 3.5 million people were killed in the Vietnam War. Approximately 60 000 Australians served in Vietnam, more than 3000 were wounded and 521 died as a result of the conflict.

Find out more about the Vietnam War HERE (please be aware that some of the video and images may contain disturbing content.  Be vigilant and make sure you only access school appropriate content)

You can also watch a video (rated PG) on the Vietnam War HERE