The Battle of Long Tan

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The Battle of Long Tan Speech Draft Salutations! The Vietnam War was a vicious conflict predominately between the United States and Australia against The Viet Cong and The North Vietnamese. Initially the public supported the war, however the American president of the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, exaggerated how easy and worldwide the war was to attract further support. When he called for “more flags” to be represented in South Vietnam only the Philippines, the Republic of South Korea, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand indicated a willingness to contribute some form of military aid. By doing this “it enabled Johnson to portray the developing war as international to show it must be dealt with and gain support,” (Hastings, 2003). The outcome of the Vietnam War was ensured because the governments of the United States and Australia could not maintain their publics’ support due to the popular culture of the time. This was because much of the war was shown on television or other popular culture, so events like the Battle of Long Tan could be seen by families and people of all ages in their living rooms; this was the first time they could see how bad a war can actually be. The Battle of Long Tan took place on the 18th of August 1966 in a rubber plantation in Phuoc Tuy Province, South Vietnam. The soldiers fought in very tough conditions; “the battle was like no other in that it occurred admits the trees and bushes of a rubber plantation,” (Parks, 2005). The plantation already gloomy was made darker by tropical downpour. Men were being killed by rifle and machine gun bullets, mortars and shrapnel from grenades fired into trees to blast splinters into the sheltering soldiers. The Australians were nearly surrounded, isolated and running out o... ... middle of paper ... ..._war.pdf anzacday.org.au. (2000). Being a historian: Investigating the Battle of Long Tan. Retrieved May 29th, 2014, from anzacday.org.au: http://www.anzacday.org.au/education/activities/longtan/longtan01.html australia.gov.au. (2009, January 8th). The Battle of Long Tan and the Vietnam War. Retrieved May 5th, 2014, from australia.gov.au: http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/battle-of-long-tan Creations, C. (n.d.). Long Tan and Propaganda. Retrieved May 28th, 2014, from Convict Creations: http://www.convictcreations.com/history/longtan.htm Gibson, K. B. (2008). The Vietnam War. Mitchell Lane Publishers. Hastings, M. (2003). Vietnam The Decisive Battles. New Burlington Books. Parks, G. (2005). The Importance of the Battle of Long Tan. Retrieved May 28th, 2014, from City of Parramatta RSL Sub-branch: http://www.parramattarsl.com.au/rsl9/BLTI.htm

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