For the United States, the Vietnam War was a humiliating disaster that broke its military aura of invincibility and cost many lives. It is often assumed that the USA fought alone to support South Vietnam against North Vietnamese forces, but the Americans actually received significant military support from regional allies, including Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian contribution was significant, and between 1962-73 almost 60,000 members of its armed forces served inAustralia’s Vietnam experience was a reflective microcosm of the USA’s: domestic opposition was huge and there were hostile protests, bitter politics and strong resistance to draft conscription.