S5 #092 New Zealand's War In Vietnam - Fighting The VC & NVA

CONTENT

The guest today is John Tulloch a former officer in the New Zealand and British Armies. Every so often I look at the download statistics for a podcast episode and get surprised at how low some of them are considering the subject matter. This episode with John, who fought in Vietnam with the NZ army, is one of them. I have re edited the episode and cut it down so it concentrates purely on his time in SE Asia I’ve also cleaned up the sound for a better listener experience. 

John's military career began when he was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA) in 1966. John developed his jungle warfare expertise whilst serving in Vietnam from July 1968 to July 1969 as an FOO nowadays referred to as a fire support team commander.

The discussion offers an in-depth look into New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War, It highlights the controversial nature of the conflict for New Zealand, contrasting their alliance with the US and Australia to their previous ties with the UK. The discussion covers critical aspects such as pre-deployment training, the effectiveness of weaponry and communication in the jungle, and the vital role of artillery and close air support, especially during key battles like Long Tan. Furthermore, we explore the unique challenges of jungle warfare, the nature of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army adversaries, and the post-war reception of returning soldiers, and the delayed recognition of their service and health issues like Agent Orange exposure.

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