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UWAHS Vietnam War Oral Histories
Historical information
Vietnam War Interview Series
Australia’s first involvement in the Vietnam War began in July 1962.
In the aftermath of the conflict, and the period of National Service it engendered, we must not forget those who were directly impacted by it. After all, ‘to dissolve the human is to rob history of its makers’.
In line with this view, the UWA Historical Society applied for a grant from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and since obtaining it in May 2021, has been working to sample the perspectives of those men who were personally affected by the Vietnam War and the implementation of mandatory military service in 1964.
Remaining faithful to our goal of producing UWA-oriented history the UWA Historical Society selected our interviewees with adherence to fixed criteria. Those who have been included in this interview series are thus either graduates of the University or former/present staff-members. Accordingly, their sessions have been able to shed light not only on their personal experiences of the armed forces, but so too upon life at UWA during this crucial time frame. For while ‘the scene at Crawley… was less volatile than at other Australian universities’, and more ‘conservative’ in outlook too, it was not impenetrable to the world outside.
With most having had their studies interrupted by Vietnam and “the Lottery of Death”, and others interacting with the institution before or after the completion of their National Service, we were able to compile an absorbing collection of stories. One that both honours the sacrifices made, and adds to our understanding of the people who comprise the fabric of UWA.
Extracted from the UWAHS Vietnam War Compilation - James Stevens
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cwa-org-75-38822
