CHAIN OF HEARTS - Research topics

Research the following topics and post the information on your blogs . You may use dot points or paragraphs to address the following:

VIETNAM WAR - when it occurred, who was involved,Australia's involvement , protest movement in Australia, call of conscription, Public treatment of vets once returned from the war and the ongoing health problems of the vets.

When it occurred: The Vietnam War was the longest major conflict in which Australians have been involved; it lasted ten years, from 1962 to 1972, and involved some 60,000 personnel.

Protest movement in Australia: In the early years Australia’s participation in the war was not widely opposed. But as the commitment grew, as conscripts began to make up a large percentage of those being deployed and killed, and as the public increasingly came to believe that the war was being lost, opposition grew until, in the early 1970s, more than 200,000 people marched in the streets of Australia’s major cities in protest.

Call of conscription: In 1962, after requests from the US and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), Australia had sent in the first 30 military advisors to assist with the training of the RVN Army.
By 1964, it was clear that the South Vietnamese forces would be beaten by the combined efforts of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam. So therefore, Australia upped its advisors to 60. In 1965, the number rose to 100. Conscription had been re-introduced to Australia in November 1964.

It was called the National Service Scheme and required all men to register when they turned 20. Each year certain dates were drawn and those whose birthdays were on that date (and who passed the medical and educational tests) had to serve in the army for two years. Anyone who did not fulfil their National Service obligations without a good reason could be fined or imprisoned.Australia's troop numbers kept climbing, as did the budget. The war in Vietnam eventually took 520 lives, wounded over 2000 more men and cost $200 million. By 1969, in line with American policy, Australia began scaling down its presence in Vietnam, although the last Australian soldier would not leave until 1971.

Public treatment of vets: Many of the young soldiers that came back home came back with not only broken bodies, but broken minds and were met with ridicule; people spitting at them for being 'baby killers'; not being able to find work; their own government turned their backs on them and many never got the medical or psychological care they deserved.

Ongoing health problems of the vets:

These include shrapnel and gunshot wounds, head injuries and lost limbs. Some service members might also have health problems from exposure to environmental hazards, such as contaminated water, chemicals and infections. There was also mental health problems, too. These include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse.

Vietnamese boat people -who were they, where did they come from and why, how they were received by Australians, experiences of the early boat people.

Who were they:The ‘Boat People of Vietnam’ seemed to encapsulate all the suffering Vietnam had suffered from 1965 to 1975. Despite the end of the Vietnam War tragedy for the people of Vietnam continued into 1978-79. The term ‘Boat People’ not only applies to the refugees who fled Vietnam but also to the people of Cambodia and Laos who did the same but tend to come under the same umbrella term. The term ‘Vietnamese Boat People’ tends to be associated with only those in the former South who fled the new Communist government.

Where did they come from and why: Because traditional freedoms were few in Vietnam, it has been estimated that 65,000 Vietnamese were executed after the end of the war with 1 million being sent to prison/re-education camps where an estimated 165,000 died. Therefore; many took the drastic decision to leave the country – an illegal act under the communist government. As an air flight out of Vietnam was out of the question, many took to makeshift boats in an effort to flee to start a new life elsewhere. Alternately, fishing boats were utilised. Thihs idea was highly dangereous. No one can be sure how many people took the decision to flee, nor are there any definitive casualty figures. However, the number who attempted to flee has been put as high as 1.5 million. Estimates for deaths vary from 50,000 to 200,000.

How they were received by Australians: Because Australia is one of the closest non communist land masses, many boats did arrive to Australia. The Americans and Australians did try to get as many people as possible out, but many were left behind. In the last weeks there was also an operation known as 'Baby Lift', which involved taking Vietnamese orphans out of the country and bringing them to families in Australia and America for adoption. A few thousand of the many thousands of orphaned children were rescued in this way.Over 50 boats managed to make it all the way to Australia's northern shoreline in April 1976 and around 2000 people from those boats claimed refugee status in Australia and asked for asylum

Experiences of the early boat people:

A boatperson's story of deprivation and determination to find another homeland.

"One day my father told us to try to leave Vietnam and we started planning for that. Ever since my life has had a big change. All my brothers escaped one at a time, all except me. I was unlucky, I had escaped seven times and I was jailed two times. The first time was for six months, the second time was for one year and I paid corruption money to get out of jail. Despite the fact, that my escape was a failure, but I did not give up or get weary." It then goes on about how the person had finally escaped the country. The person then talks about the life on a boat, "When we had been out to sea for about ten hours, the engine had broke down. We did not have any sails or paddles to keep the boat going, so the boat kept moving without any control or guidance. The food was scarce and can only last for two days. The third day we jus drank water when it rained.We were desperate and exhausted. Suddenly on the seventh day at night, my boat came to shore." The stories are all an emotional tale of their life which needs to be told; to show the desperation and fear they had, but also; of the hope that they dreamed of starting new again.

What is the White Australia Policy? The white australia policy was introduced in 1901, when Federation was also introduced. in that year, Edmund Barton was Australia's first prime minister. The policy favoured applicants from certain countries. this means that Australia did not allow all migrants from entering the country, especially the Asians. the main reason the act was introduced is that the European Australians was worried that they will lose their jobs to the more experienced labourers- the Chinese. the act was later abolished and then there was the Migration Act. this act was the opposite of the white australia policy. entry system had replaced the dictation test- in which when migrants wanted to enter australia, they have to recite 50 words in any European language.