Well Done, Those Men: memoirs of a Vietnam veteran

by Barry Heard

Overview

Australian Vietnam vet Barry Heard draws on his own experiences as a young conscript, along with those of his comrades, to look back at life before, during, and after the Vietnam War. The result is a sympathetic vision of a group of young men who were sent off to war completely unprepared for the emotional and psychological impact it would have on them. It is also a vivid and searingly honest portrayal of the author’s post-war, slow-motion breakdown, and how he dealt with it.

Well Done, Those Men attempts to make sense of what Vietnam did to the soldiers who fought there. It deals with the comic absurdity of their military training and the horror of the war they fought, and is unforgettably moving in recounting what happened to Barry and his comrades when they returned home.

As we now know, most Vietnam vets had to deal with a community that shunned them, and with their own depression, trauma, and guilt. Barry Heard’s sensitive account of his long journey home from Vietnam is a tribute to his mates, and an inspiring story of a life reclaimed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781921844942
Publisher:	Scribe Publications Pty Ltd
Publication date:	04/10/2014
Edition description:	Third Edition, Third edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Barry Heard was conscripted in Australia’s first national-service ballot, and served in Vietnam as an infantryman and radio operator. After completing his national service, he returned home, where he found himself unable to settle down. He had ten different jobs in his first ten years back, worked as a teacher for a further ten years, and then held several mid-managerial posts before succumbing to a devastating breakdown due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Since recovering, Barry has decided to concentrate on his writing. His short stories have received several prizes, including the Sir Edmund Herring Memorial Award and the Sir Weary Dunlop Prize. Barry’s books include the bestselling memoir Well Done, Those Men, its prequel, The View from Connor’s Hill, and the World War I novel Tag. He lives with his family in rural Victoria.

Table of Contents

Introduction     ix
Beginnings     1
Training
Recruit Training, Puckapunyal 1966     11
Infantry Corps Training, 3TB Singleton NSW     31
My New Home: 7RAR, Puckapunyal     55
Canungra     62
Exercises Barrawinga and Nilla Qua Shoalwater Bay, Queensland     71
Vietnam
Welcome to Vietnam     79
The New Me     88
The 5RAR Experience     91
7RAR, Vietnam     109
The Battalion's First Operation     113
In the Jungle     132
Operation Ballarat     157
Return to Base Camp     167
Last Days     184
Home
Where's Home?     191
Melbourne Lessons     203
No Time for Exams     220
The Long Way Home     236
1992     248
1993     252
1994     255
1995     258
The Aftermath     263
Heidelberg     272
Back to School     286
Afterword     291
Acknowledgements     303

Editorial Reviews

Heard gives meaning and sense to overused cliches such as “stolen youth”, “buried horrors” and even “mateship”.”
—Lorien Kaye, The Age

“Heard's recounting of his Vietnam tour is chilling. But it is the last third of the book that really hits home. In less than 100 pages, Heard describes 30 years of hell…this is an important book on a still hidden topic, and one that deserves a wide audience.”
—Australian Bookseller & Publisher

“Well Done, Those Men is highly recommended, as a glimpse into Australia 40 years ago, as an honest account of fighting in Vietnam, and as an entertaining and thought-provoking read.”
—Canberra Times

“This is a searingly honest account of one man’s battle to overcome his tormented past in an unpopular war and to recover from a complete breakdown.”
—Examiner

“This is a brilliant anti-war polemic, and an ultimately inspiring life story.”
—Good Reading

“Well Done, Those Men is a human, moving, and brutally honest account of one man's emotionally racked journey from naive country boy to jungle soldier, psychologically scarred veteran, and ultimately triumphant victor over the demons within.”
—Herald Sun

“Heard's well-written account will appeal to anyone interested in the impact of the Vietnam War on New Zealand and Australian soldiers. It provides valuable and illuminating perspective on the troubles that have afflicted many of them since their return.”
—New Zealand International Review

“Barry Heard’s book is the autobiography of a Vietnam veteran, but it’s so perceptive it represents a whole generation…The book is very well written, clear in its descriptions, self-aware in its assessments and, surprisingly, not depressing to read.”
—Quadrant

“It's profound sadness makes Well Done, Those Men a difficult book to read. Ultimately, though…it is also an uplifting work, for it is testament to human resilience and, thus, to the possiblity of personal redemption no matter how painful the catalytic experience.”
—Reviews in Australian Studies

“This is a powerful, beautifully written book that should be read by everyone who wants to understand the evil, senseless personal damage done by war.”
—Sydney Morning Herald

“Heard writes honestly and painfully of that soiled era…”
—Weekend Australian

From the Publisher

'This is a powerful, beautifully written book that should be read by everyone who wants to understand the evil, senseless personal damage done by war.’

Sydney Morning Herald

'Heard gives meaning and sense to overused cliches such as "stolen youth", "buried horrors" and even "mateship".'

Age - Lorien Kaye

'This is a brilliant anti-war polemic, and an ultimately inspiring life story.'

Good Reading

' Well Done, Those Men is highly recommended, as a glimpse into Australia 40 years ago, as an honest account of fighting in Vietnam, and as an entertaining and thought-provoking read.'

Canberra Times

‘Heard writes honestly and painfully of that soiled era ...’

Weekend Australian

‘Barry Heard’s book is the autobiography of a Vietnam veteran, but it’s so perceptive it represents a whole generation ... The book is very well written, clear in its descriptions, self-aware in its assessments and, surprisingly, not depressing to read.’

Quadrant

'It's profound sadness makes Well Done, Those Men a difficult book to read. Ultimately, though, ... it is also an uplifting work, for it is testament to human resilience and, thus, to the possiblity of personal redemption no matter how painful the catalytic experience.'

Reviews in Australian Studies

' Well Done, Those Men is a human, moving, and brutally honest account of one man's emotionally racked journey from naive country boy to jungle soldier, psychologically scarred veteran, and ultimately triumphant victor over the demons within.'

Herald Sun

‘This is a searingly honest account of one man’s battle to overcome his tormented past in an unpopular war and to recover from a complete breakdown.’

Examiner

'Heard's well-written account will appeal to anyone interested in the impact of the Vietnam War on New Zealand and Australian soldiers. It provides valuable and illuminating perspective on the troubles that have afflicted many of them since their return.'

New Zealand International Review

'Heard's recounting of his Vietnam tour is chilling. But it is the last third of the book that really hits home. In less than 100 pages, Heard describes 30 years of hell … this is an important book on a still hidden topic, and one that deserves a wide audience.'

Australian Bookseller & Publisher

'It's profound sadness makes Well Done, Those Men a difficult book to read. Ultimately, though, ... it is also an uplifting work, for it is testament to human resilience and, thus, to the possiblity of personal redemption no matter how painful the catalytic experience.'

Reviews in Australian Studies - Seaumas Spark

‘Vietnam veteran Barry Heard has written an inspiring story about a life reclaimed.’

Border Mail - Sue Wallace

‘Heard writes honestly and painfully of that soiled era ...’

Weekend Australian - Tony Maniaty

‘As devastating as Heard’s account of the war undoubtedly is, it’s the last third of the book — wherein he returns to a country that seems embarrassed to acknowledge his existence, and tries to deal with his shattered psyche with little support from an uncomprehending family and an ever-decreasing number of friends — that packs the biggest emotional wallop ... [However] he manages to elicit laughs amidst the tragedy.’

Courier Mail - Terry Oberg

'Heard's well-written account will appeal to anyone interested in the impact of the Vietnam War on New Zealand and Australian soldiers. It provides valuable and illuminating perspective on the troubles that have afflicted many of them since their return.'

New Zealand International Review - Ian McGibbon

'The author discusses his own gradual disintegration and that of his mates in powerful, simple language free of intellectual pretension. Often dramatic and emotionally moving, there is no pathos in this brutally honest account of a costly episode in our recent history.'

Courier Mail - Lon Bram

' Well Done, Those Men is a human, moving, and brutally honest account of one man's emotionally racked journey from naive country boy to jungle soldier, psychologically scarred veteran, and ultimately triumphant victor over the demons within.'

Herald Sun - Greg Thom

A 'remarkable book'.

Newcastle Herald

'To those of you thinking "ho hum, another Vietnam book" I can only suggest that this one deserves to be read — for the sake of all those who are still trying to "come home".'

Guyra Argus - Peter Barrett

‘This is a searingly honest account of one man’s battle to overcome his tormented past in an unpopular war and to recover from a complete breakdown.’

Examiner - Ros Sydes

'Heard's recounting of his Vietnam tour is chilling. But it is the last third of the book that really hits home. In less than 100 pages, Heard describes 30 years of hell … this is an important book on a still hidden topic, and one that deserves a wide audience.'

Australian Bookseller & Publisher - Tim Coronel

'This is a powerful, beautifully written book that should be read by everyone who wants to understand the evil, senseless personal damage done by war.’

Sydney Morning Herald - Bruce Elder

‘Barry Heard’s book is the autobiography of a Vietnam veteran, but it’s so perceptive it represents a whole generation ... The book is very well written, clear in its descriptions, self-aware in its assessments and, surprisingly, not depressing to read.’

Quadrant - Patrick Morgan