Battle of Long Tan 18 August 1966 and Victory over Japan Day (WW II)
“ | By virtue of the authority invested in me as the President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded the Presidential Unit Citation (Army) for extraordinary heroism to D Company, Sixth Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, The Australian Army.
D Company distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism while engaged in military operations against an opposing armed force in Vietnam on 18 August 1966. While searching for Viet Cong in a rubber plantation northeast of Ba Ria, Phuoc Tuy, Province, Republic of Vietnam, D Company met and immediately engaged in heavy contact. As the battle developed, it became apparent that the men of D Company were facing a numerically superior force. The platoons of D Company were surrounded and attacked on all sides by an estimated reinforced enemy battalion using automatic weapons, small arms and mortars. Fighting courageously against a well armed and determined foe, the men on D Company maintained their formations in a common perimeter defence and inflicted heavy casualties on the Viet Cong. The enemy maintained a continuous, intense volume of fire and attacked repeatedly from all directions. Each successive assault was repulsed by the courageous Australians. Heavy rainfall and low ceiling prevented any friendly close air support during the battle. After three hours of savage attacks, having failed to penetrate the Australian lines, the enemy withdrew from the battlefield carrying many dead and wounded, and leaving 245 Viet Cong dead forward of the defence positions of D Company. The conspicuous courage, intrepidity and indomitable courage of D Company were to the highest tradition of military valour and reflect great credit upon D Company and the Australian Army. Lyndon B. Johnson on 28 May 1968 |
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On 18th August, 2011, the 45th anniversary of the battle, members of 6RAR were awarded a unit citation; presented by the Governor General of Australia Quentin Bryce.
For an Australian television account of the battle which can be watched for free online, go to: Battle of Long Tan.
Above text sourced from http://en.wikipedia.orgview_html.php?sq=Envato&lang=en&q=Battle_of_Long_Tan. - 220.101 talk\Contribs 12:43, 18 August 2011 (UTC)
Anzac Day 25 April
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