All the way from Saigon to Bowning

Growing up he loved horses and had his dogs to keep him company during hunting camp-outs.

In 1967, at the age of 20, John was drafted to serve in Vietnam.

He commenced rookie training for nine weeks at Kapooka, in Wagga Wagga, and was then sent on to Albury Wodonga for his Service Core Training.

He became well-versed in transport and mechanics which, when the time came, was desperately important.

Leaving Sydney by plane three weeks earlier than the rest of his platoon, John and another Private were sent to Saigon.

They were welcomed with the enemy firing mortar bombs at the base upon arrival at Vung Tau from Saigon.

From Vang Tau to Nui Dat they were sent with a convoy on the back of a truck. The truck broke down and training in mechanics fell right into place.

On arrival both lads were still unknown. Hours later word from abroad; the lads were sent to replace two Australians that had been killed.

John’s duty was to provide the transport of safe clean drinking water for up to 6000 people, who made up the task force based in Nui Dat.

Unsafe drinking water was a major cause of disease. Death by disease was very prominent.

In the Battle of Corral, John also carried primed explosives packed on the truck while in hostile territory.

The truck came to a halt, the front convoy abandoned them, leaving them open to enemy fire or take over.

Finding their way back was not hard but carrying fully loaded explosives was not comforting in any way.

Lying in a foxhole across from the artillery base as mortars dropped from above, John says, “There is no fear. Actions are automatic, then you carry on”.

In 1969 John returned to Australia from Nui Dat.

John and his wife have now lived in Bowning for 34 years. They have a daughter and two grand children, both of which keep him in check and on his toes.

His daughter is proud of her father, always has been and always will be.

Story told by John Elliott and written by Connie Elliott