DELTA FOUR: Australian Riflemen in Vietnam

Allen & Unwin, 1996. Softcover. VG+ (Very Good plus). AUSTRALIAN MILITARYThis book tells the story of one of the last groups of Australian riflemen who served in the Vietnam War.Delta Four exposes the inner workings of a rifle company - how its soldiers trained for war, and how they operated and fought in the war zone. It examines the basic qualities of infantry soldiering, of leadership and battlecraft. Above all else, it gives the soldiers' viewpoint of those aspects of war-fighting not found in the training pamphlets.Gary McKay has been able to get the veterans to open up and give voice to things usually left unsaid, or at least rarely expressed. Being a veteran himself, he appreciates what these men experienced, and he has been able to tap into their innermost thoughts and emotions, faithfully recording how they felt then and what they feel today. Rarely does one get to examine the command chain of a unit such as this rifle company from the commander down to the rifleman.Gary McKay interviewed the men from this company of the last battalion that served in Vietnam, and in 1993 travelled back to Vietnam with some of them. There he met with former Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers, who shared their private views on one of the most tragic episodes in Australian military history.Gary McKay served as a rifle platoon commander in Viet Nam and was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. Australia. Army. Royal Australian Regiment. Battalion, 4th.  |  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal narratives, Australian.  |  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Veterans -- Australia.  |  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Veterans -- Australia -- Interviews.xx, 313 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. #1120R/0621/170124 ISBN 10: 1864481668 ISBN 13: 9781864481662 First Edition Elizabeth's Bookshops have been one of Australia's premier independent book dealers since 1973. Elizabeth's family-owned business operates four branches in Perth CBD, Fremantle (WA), and Newtown (NSW). All orders are dispatched within 24 hours from our Fremantle Warehouse. All items can be viewed at Elizabeth's Bookshop Warehouse, 23 Queen Victoria Street\, Fremantle WA. Near Fine