Aussie Vietnam Vet

[jdullighan]

I came across Colin Jones while looking for the author of "A SOLDIER'S CHRISTMAS". You can find him and many others at http://iwvpa.net/index.html.

COLIN F. JONES - “Col”

Col is an Australian Vietnam Veteran who served with 104 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artilliery in Phuc Tuey Province, SVN in 1968 - 1969.

CHRISTMAS 1969

I spent Christmas 69 in the field in Vietnam. We were allowed two cans of beer each. Some of us however had a turn visiting the American Base Bien Hoa, which was close by. We had a day in there ... got shipped back late that night by the US MP's. Took em a while to find us…

-- The Brits say that no Aussie calls "A spade a spade", they call it "A f.....g shovel". In other words they say what they think without fear or favor and if you don't like it you can p..s off, especially if you are a 'pommiebastard', their affectionate name for the English. Or so I'm told by my best mate, an Aussie from Sydney.----


This says it all:

ODE TO AMERICA

What can this simple poet do for you,
a nation great where I don’t even live,
A land of freedom distanced from my view,
for all I have are words of love to give.
I have never seen the vast wide plains so green,
the mountain ranges capped with frozen snow,
So many places there I have not seen,
the wild deep valleys where the rivers flow.
The monuments to soldiers killed in war,
the proud processions when the flags do fly,
the people gathered where the towers were,
the wall of spirits where your heroes lie.
I can but say from this a quiet place,
That God has blessed your nation with his grace.

©Colin F. Jones
11 September 2003


I can relate to this:

TREASONABLE, DESPICABLE SPECIMENS OF MEN

No matter what is said or what is done,
It can't nor could be ever right for some,
Whose negative thoughts seek all folk to blame,
Who do not agree with their narrow claim.
Oft do such critics with their tiresome way,
Reflect not on the freedom they betray,
For while they reap the benefits of the state,
They condemn the system from which they fill their plate.
This is freedom; for which brave soldiers die,
For the right to speak the truth, and the right to lie,
The right to choose the God they wish to praise,
The right to criticise their own Government's ways.
But also for the truthful to condemn,
Such treasonable despicable specimens of men.

©Colin F. Jones
17 April 2003


This may be harder to understand but remember he was a regular.


WHY DID I FIGHT?

Why did I fight in Vietnam my friend,
'Tis best I tell the truth and not pretend,
For better pay and a higher rank,
Be I a grunt or in a metal tank.

But that was why I WENT not why I FOUGHT,
Doing what in training we had all been taught.
I fought because my mates might cop it sweet,
Without me there to keep 'em on their feet,

I fought to hear them say the words G'day,
And make bloody sure they didn't go astray.
I fought because there was a bloody foe,
Who had the hide to try and kill us all you know.
I fought because I had to fight to live,
And because my mates had so much love to give.

©Colin F. Jones
01 March 2003

[pm3777]

Served with these good old beer drinking blokes and it was an uplifing experience. They would fight or drink a beer with equal exhuberance!!! Would have one of them and another MARINE for support any time or place. They were there also when I was in Korea 1953. OORAH!! SF PM

[Roth]

I "worked" with the Assuies a couple of times in "Indian Country" and PM is right.... they were a bunch good people.

It suprises me just a little to see that writing from an Aussie. I guess it goes to show that others worry about the U.S. as much as we that live here.

Thanks, John, for sharing. I guess us "old" 165ers are still hangin' in there.....;)

[Bill Phillips]

I served with some Aussies when I was assigned to Advisory Team 3 at Hue in 1966. There were, and are, good people. I have an uncle who worked in Australia for several years, and he said that the Australians support America because they remember that we saved their buns in WW II when we kept the Japanese from invading their country. And they have long memories, unlike some other countries.

[jdullighan]

Hey Roth:

I'm surprised by the quality of Col's writing but not by the sentiments expressed. Remember when after 9/11 the Brits played American National Anthem in place of the British. That's never been done before. I'm not sure that Americans realise how significant that is to the Brits but it's huge.

As you know I'm English (although of Irish ancestry, now there's a formula for trouble) but I've been here so long that when I'm in England, the Brits think I'm American. What they don't realise is I can pick up the subtle undercurrents constantly present in English conversation. Combine that with a group of friends in England who are perfectly willing to put me under intense interrogation in the pub where anything of importance in England is discussed, and I think have a good feel for how people are thinking and feeling.

In general, people look to America as the one place on earth where freedom is valued above all else. They may not want to live here and we can annoy them beyond reason sometimes with our 'bull in a china shop' approach but they are glad America is here and thriving. The feeling at general public level is often much at varience with what politicians are saying, no surprise there, and there is often the snide amusment at the 'top kid on the block' stubbing his toe. But every country in the world has relatives here and in many ways there is a feeling that America belongs to everyone.

American Presidential elections are reported on in England as though the Brits can vote. If you want really good reporting on American Politics, read the Times of London. When a radio talkshow host commented that England might as well be the 51st State, his listeners reacted with a "What's wrong with that" attitude. Even the callers who objected agreed that they could live with it.

When I was leaving England I had to get clearance from the IRS. They actually gave me a rebate, to speed me on my way, maybe. The agent asked me where I was going and when I told him to the US to work for Boeing, he said "Good for you, lad, if I was your age I'd be with you."

[Roth]

John,

I'm happy to hear that the "Brits" feel the way they do. Your'e right, as well, when you say we all have "family" in the Islands.

I knew the Aussies always kinda liked working with us. I can't remember hearing of anyone else they would share their beer with!! hehehe

I'm glad you went to work for Boeing. You were an outstanding rep and especially with your work on the "station 410" situation we ran into.

Thanks for your expertise during that little problem. I don't think the "fix" would have developed quite as quickly as it did without your input and research.

Sempers, and hope to see you in Reno.

[jdullighan]

Thanks for the compliments, I'm not sure they're deserved but I'll take them anyway.

I worked on various possible solutions for the 'desync' problems when I was in Engineering but my field was Flight Controls, especially 'Fly by Wire', so my involvement was peripheral at most. But almost everyone in Engineering at that time worked on the 'desync' problem as it was known in house. It took priority over everything else. Station 410 was the weakest point on the fuselage and when something catastrophic occured, that was where the airplane failed. When Sta. 410 was beefed up, the failure occured somewhere else. The solution was to fix the original problems and there were more than one. The feeling in Engineering was that the extra weight added by the beefup of Sta. 410 wasn't a good idea but that wasn't received well by the field. They may have been right but they were sitting at a desk not out flying.

I worked on a version of the H-46 that was to be completely 'Fly by Wire', no manual controls at all. Saved a ton of weight and was extremely responsive but it didn't go into production.

I believe the Tech Rep who did the most to help clear up the problems with Sta 410 was Norm Clark, a Popasmoke member. He was a member of the original design team, was the Tech Rep with HMM-164 when they deployed, did at least 3 tours 'in country', worked for NAESU until he retired and was promptly rehired by Boeing. His career pretty much covers the entire service of the H-46 and recently he was all ready to go overseas again. What he doesn't know about the H-46 isn't worth knowing. Unlike me, he doesn't feel compelled to post to Popasmoke when someone says something he knows to be wrong. I wish he would but there you are.