It was ANZAC Day 2 days ago and a lot of Australian Vet fought in Vietnam make news recently
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-...by-south-arm-rsl-brings-back-memories/8458544
Vietnam War-era military vehicle secured by South Arm RSL brings back memories for veterans
Tracing the cool metal exterior of a 1965 armoured personnel carrier (APC) sitting on display in Tasmania's south, former soldier Stan Hanuszewicz said he could still remember the "thud, thud, thud" of bullet rounds hitting the outside of a vehicle similar to this one.
The 10 tonne APC was purchased by the South Arm RSL sub branch for $7,000 and shipped to Tasmania's South Arm Memorial Park for $5,000 on Thursday.
Photo: Sergeant Stan Hanuszewicz received the South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star in 1971. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial ID P08614.006)
A crane was used to lift the heavy combat machinery into place where it will remain on permanent display as a reminder of the Vietnam War.
Mr Hanuszewicz said seeing the camouflaged APC brought memories, both good and bad, flooding back to his mind.
"You were always on edge there, you were never relaxed, not even when you were asleep," he explained as he walked around the historic vehicle.
"I was a crew commander towards the end of the war and was transferred from tanks onto APCs … It's a scary transition from a 52 tonne tank to an 11 tonne APC."
The 71-year-old said APCs were mainly used to transport combat infantry so they could engage with the enemy at close quarters until the tanks arrived.
"There were a lot of bunker systems in Vietnam where the North Vietnamese would use them as bases and it was part of operations to go out and find them," he said.
"The APCs transported the troops with all their gear, just short of the objective and then they'd get out and assault.
But because of the close country in the jungle there were a lot of casualties."
Photo: The M113A1 APC were the work horses of the Vietnam war. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial DNE/65/0221/VN)
Being inside the cramped, diesel-perfumed compartment of the APC was a welcome comfort to soldiers, explained Mr Hanuszewicz who said "it always beat walking".
"You don't wash for three or four weeks but you all smell the same so you don't smell anything but the diesel," he continued.
Pointing to the top of the APC, Mr Hanuszewicz said infantry men would always prefer to sit on the side because the worst part of travelling distances of almost 30 kilometres was not knowing where you were.
"It was terrifying … the not knowing was the worst part. That's why you see a lot of pictures of people sitting on the outside — it was cooler and you could see the countryside."
Although it has been more than 50 years since Mr Hanuszewicz served in the Vietnam War, he said his mind was still over there.
"When I came home for RnR [rest and recreation leave] I had this guilty feeling, this feeling like I shouldn't be here and I should be with my mates," he said.
"It's hard to explain what you've seen, so we tend to just bottle it all up.
"How do you convey to someone that an APC has just been blown up and 10 people are dead?"
Despite the horrors of war, Mr Hanuszewicz said he liked to focus on the good, rather than the bad.
"The bad, it's always there, but you tend to put it behind you or you pay the consequences."
'It was very emotional'
Photo: Terry Roe said the APCs often evoked an emotional response from veterans. (ABC News: Aneeta Bhole)
South Arm RSL sub-branch president Terry Roe said he hoped the new addition to the South Arm memorial would be used as an education tool for younger generations learning about the Vietnam War.
Mr Roe explained that the APC 1965 model M113A1 was commonly seen during the battle of Long Tan and Bin Ba during the war which spanned almost two decades.
"Vietnam veterans came down to witness the APC's arrival and it was very emotional for them," he said.
"A lot of us have travelled inside them, we've spent time with them with our mates and they've backed us up with fire support when we've been in contact with the enemy."
The vehicle was one of three available for purchase from the ADF's defence disposal unit and the first to be put on display in Tasmania.
The APC will join a World War II memorial, set to be completed by the end of the year, among memorials for more recent conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan which are also hoped to be represented at South Arm Memorial Park in the future.
"The overall end result is to leave a fitting memorial of this particular peninsula to young people who have had their parents and grandparents fight with the military," Mr Roe said..
"We're hoping it will also serve educational purposes for schools who can come down and touch, feel and read about the people on the memorial wall."
Photo: Soldiers usually preferred to sit outside the APCs if they could. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial)
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Contact Aneeta Bhole 
Photo: Sergeant Stan Hanuszewicz received the South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star in 1971. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial ID P08614.006) 
Photo: Terry Roe said the APCs often evoked an emotional response from veterans. (ABC News: Aneeta Bhole) 
Photo: Soldiers usually preferred to sit outside the APCs if they could. (Supplied: Australian War Memorial) 
