President Johnson slowly increased the number of American troops on the ground in Vietnam. When downed American bombers in Burma could not be reached by the vaunted American glider forces, helicopters were called in and successfully extracted the flight crews. During WW2 in the South Pacific the average soldier saw about 40 days of combat across a period of 4 years. Those vital attributes are courage (moral and physical), competence, commitment and a talent for inspiring soldiers to accomplish tasks they never dreamed possible. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. He was neither profound nor particularly curious, yet his superiors listened to him as a wise man, and his officers and men idolized him. As a result, many Australian Vietnam veterans were excluded from joining the Australian Vietnam veterans were honoured at a "Welcome Home" parade in Sydney on 3 October 1987, and it was then that a campaign for the construction of the Vietnam War Memorial began.In the aftermath of the Vietnam War the withdrawal of the US from South-East Asia forced Australia to adopt a more independent foreign policy, moving away from forward defence and reliance on powerful allies to a greater emphasis on the Australian counter-insurgency tactics and civic actionAustralian counter-insurgency tactics and civic actionAs a point of comparison, there were 16,000 US advisors in Vietnam at the same time.Interview with Robert Martin [sound recording], Peter Donovan, 1989 Adelaide Gaol Oral History Project The average soldier in the Vietnam War saw about 240 days of combat in 1 year - due to the mobility of the helicopter. Attack helicopters are armed helicopters used in the anti-tank and close air support roles.

Nearly 12,000 US helicopters & approximately 40,000 US helicopter pilots served in the Vietnam War.

The attack helicopter - embodied by the HueyCobra, was also used for the first timein warfare. The helicopter's role in combat expanded enormously in this conflict as thousands of "choppers" rapidly transported personnel throughout the war zone.

The Vietnam War was the first conflict that saw wide scale tactical deployment of helicopters. Many still do.Although the story of Newman and his family is the common thread in the book’s narrative, it is not the only story Putzel relates in his riveting account of Vietnam combat and its aftermath.

Palazzo believes that like the Americans, Australian strategy was focused on seeking to engage the Communist forces in battle and ultimately failed as the Communists were generally able to evade Australian forces when conditions were not favourable.

The book’s second chapter is the dramatic account of Kersey’s abrupt introduction—only days after the young lieutenant had arrived in-country—to incredibly intense, life-or-death combat with his platoon while outnumbered five-to-one by several surrounding North Vietnamese Army battalions. In many ways, the evolution of the military helicopter mirrors the rapid changes of American society while still reflecting Americans' faith in technology and efficiency.The United States first employed helicopters in warfare during the Second World War. We were more afraid of their style. Several types of helicopters were used during the Vietnam Conflict- from observation and MEDEVAC to gunships and dedicated attack types. When the Australians were able to set ambushes, or openly engage the enemy, they defeated the Communists and killed or destroyed the units that opposed them.Meanwhile, although the bulk of Australian military resources in Vietnam were devoted to operations against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces, a civic action program was also undertaken to assist the local population and government authorities in Phước Tuy. In the final years of the Australian presence it became more involved in assistance to villages and to the provincial administration.

Helicopters afforded rapid transportation of fighting forces on the battlefield, and have also evolved to embrace a much larger role as an efficient and deadly weapons platform, but also serve vital support roles in medical evacuation, logistical operations, search and rescue operations, and in many other uses.

They liked to stay with us instead of calling in the planes. Australian patrols shun jungle tracks and clearings... picking their way carefully and quietly through bamboo thickets and tangled foliage... .It is a frustrating experience to trek through the jungle with Australians. This is alongside the standard troop carrier which also doubled as supply aircraft and artillery transports. This is alongside the standard troop carrier which also doubled as supply aircraft and artillery transports. They move forward a few steps at a time, stop, listen, then proceed again.Looking back on ten years of reporting the war in Vietnam and Cambodia, journalist For some Viet Cong leaders there was no doubt the Australian jungle warfare approach was effective. The attack helicopter - embodied by the HueyCobra, was also used for the first timein warfare.