Free Going Back by Gary McKay Page A

decades before. Many other memories came flooding back almost straightaway, and I was constantly bombarded by flashbacks and recall of times good and bad, funny and sad.
    I have since been back another five times, and always on a research trip of some description. With each new visit I have expanded my trips and taken in more of that beautiful country. In 2002 my 21-year-old daughter Kelly joined me on one such sojourn. She also fell in love with Viet Nam.
    I realised that as Viet Nam veterans are approaching retirement and their kids are off their hands and their responsibilities have waned, many are now taking to the highways as ‘grey nomads’ and discovering Australia’s beauty, or are taking off overseas. The number that are returning to Viet Nam for holidays and pilgrimages is growing, and I wanted to write this book to help other veterans decide whether to revisit the land where they served our nation in conflict, or whether perhaps to stay at home and buy the Winnebago instead.
    To document the memories of those who have already made the journey back to Viet Nam, I gathered first-hand accounts from the men and their partners through interviews and letters, and I am indebted to them for allowing me to intrude into their private thoughts and recollections in compiling this book. I strongly suggest that those contemplating returning to their old battlefields grab a copy of my book Australia’s Battlefields in Viet Nam for guidance; it also contains some suggested itineraries for those wanting to visit the Task Force area of operations. I also recommend that travellers obtain a copy of the latest edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Vietnam; it is well worth the money and has some very useful tips.
    At times in this book I have used the term ‘the American War’. The Second Indochina War (or Viet Nam War, as the west referred to it) began after the Viet Nam Communist Party decided early in 1959 to sanction greater reliance on military activity and to start infiltrating South Viet Nam. Inside Viet Nam this war became known as the American War.
    I am indebted to my publisher Ian Bowring of Allen & Unwin for allowing this little book to proceed. It is a niche book, but as befits Australia’s Publisher of The Year for at least seven years, they do publish ‘books that matter’. My thanks also go to my editors Clara Finlay and Katri Hilden, and to the 5 RAR tour group of 2005 who allowed me to accompany them to Viet Nam as a case study for this book. Their assistance, forgiveness and friendship are truly appreciated.

Part I

THE VETERANS

Part II

A PILGRIMAGE

Chapter 3
HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)
AND SURROUNDS
    Most visitors to Viet Nam, whether they are on a pilgrimage or simply a holiday, will want to see its largest city, which locals still call Saigon—although they tend to use the word to describe the inner city or central business district, and not the newer outerlying districts that have sprung up since 1976, when it was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Those returning to this bustling metropolis will notice the changes at the airport and the expansion of the sprawling suburbs around the former Southern capital. What hasn’t changed is the heat, humidity and the overpowering smell of the tropics. Even in the cooler wet season this is still a hot place to visit.
    Most servicemen and women did not see too much of Saigon during the war unless they were serving in the Headquarters of the Australian Forces Vietnam or a related subsidiary headquarters. When soldiers were departing on rest and recuperation (R&R) leave they usually left South Viet Nam via Saigon and often overnighted at the temporary accommodation US Forces’ billet known as Camp Alpha. Saigon was the military hub of operations and the seat of government in South Viet Nam, and saw vicious fighting during the Tet Offensive in early 1968. Its capture by Communist forces in 1975 marked the end of the Viet Nam