Welcome to the Australia’s Vietnam War website (the “Website”). The Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society at UNSW Canberra has commissioned the development of this site as a detailed record of 1st Australian Task Force (1ATF) operations in Phuoc Tuy Province and surrounds, South Vietnam, in the 1960s and early 1970s.

For information on how to submit content, see the contribution process.

General terms and conditions

In these terms and conditions of use, ‘us’, ‘we’ and ‘our’ mean the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society (ACSACS), UNSW Canberra.

It is important to us that you understand these terms and conditions which relate to your use of the Website. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Agreement

By accessing and using this Website, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

Contributions to the Website

We invite and welcome contributions to the Website.  We see these as valuable in making as comprehensive a historical record as possible of 1ATF operations in Vietnam.  Any person can make contributions – veterans, members of veterans’ families and other non-veterans.  Contributions are not limited to Australian citizens and residents.  Members of the New Zealand armed forces made significant and valuable contributions to 1ATF activities and we hope to learn more about these from contributions from those members and their families and friends.  There may be others with relevant experiences or views about the nature of the war who wish to contribute, including US and Vietnamese citizens.

All contributions are subject to the protocols and conditions below.

Contributors can make comments in two categories:

  • Category 1 is information relevant to particular combat incidents recorded on the battle map. Veterans may wish to record their recollections elaborating on information already on the site, such as: what happened from your perspective? And how did you feel immediately before this incident, during the incident and immediately after it? Non-veterans may wish to also add information relating to particular combat incidents. For example, a non-veteran visiting a particular battle incident may want to describe their reaction to the information they are seeing.  A family member of a veteran who served or was killed or wounded may want to add remarks about the incident involving their family member.  Category 1 comments will be attached directly to particular combat incidents on the battle map.
  • In Category 2, veterans and others may want to make comments about more general topics or the war in general, rather than comments relating to specific combat events. Some people may want to make statements about their feelings at the time, whether these changed over time, what impact Army service had on their or their relative’s lives. We are interested in contributors’ views on topics like your/your relative’s service in Vietnam. For example, did the Army adequately prepare you/him for service in Vietnam? What impact did his Vietnam service have on you, other family members and friends? Others may wish to comment on broad topics such as the morality or justice of the war. Subject to the protocols below, all comments are welcome, be they for or against the war. Category 2 comments are to be entered in the designated Discussion Forum and not attached to a specific combat event. This forum will permit comments to be published directly, but moderated by us. The same rules governing Category 1 comments apply to those entered in the Forum.

All contributors must provide their full name. A valid email address is required for account activation. Contributions from people using nicknames or pseudonyms will not be accepted. Note that our policy and practice is to include the name of every contributor with their contribution when it is posted on the website. Vietnam veterans will have their status as veterans acknowledged on the website. On registration you will be asked a number of questions. Information you choose to provide in answer to these questions will be shown on your user profile. All other information about contributors will be treated in accordance with UNSW Privacy Policy, which requires that private information (such as phone numbers, email addresses and other contact details) is used only for the purpose for which it is gathered. It cannot be passed to third parties.

The Contribution Process

Contributions may be made by:

  • Opening an ‘incident’ box;
  • Clicking on the ‘attach note’ button
  • Then following the steps indicated.

It is often best to compose your contribution in a text editor such as Word or Pages beforehand, then copy and paste it into the ‘notes’ page when you are satisfied with it. Before being posted on the site, we will examine all contributions and uploaded images to ensure the material is suitable for inclusion, in accordance with the principles below.

The following is acceptable:

  • Information which adds to our knowledge and records of particular incidents. We are keen for veterans who were involved in incidents to add details;
  • Errors of fact, although we may add editorial comment to explain how user contributions differ from the official record;
  • Opinions that differ from ours;
  • Comments on earlier contributions;
  • Positive comments about those who were killed or wounded, especially if they are made in a spirit of commemoration of service;
  • Criticism of the official record, but we ask those who criticise to provide evidence for the validity of their criticisms. The site is not a platform for airing grievances or displaying un-evidenced conspiracy theories, but we recognise that different people legitimately have different knowledge, memories and versions of events, and we note that recording these differences is important for the historical record.

There is no formal limit to the length of contributions, but we ask that contributors keep them to the point.  We reserve the right to edit over-lengthy contributions.

The following will not be accepted:

  • Foul language;
  • Defamatory or libellous material;
  • Malicious material or material that may damage an individual;
  • Any material that may expose us to legal action (for example material making racist/religious/sexist etc slurs, accounts claiming serious criminal behaviour such as murder, rape, etc.). If we receive material suggesting that a crime has been committed, we may refer the information to appropriate authorities or suggest to the person making the claim that he/she should do so;
  • Material aimed at damaging the website.

Following receipt of your contribution we will:

  • Examine your contribution for compliance with these terms and conditions;
  • Edit as necessary to comply with the criteria above;
  • Post the contribution, including your name, on the site.

In accordance with these protocols, we reserve the right to either reject material or edit contributions to remove content that we deem unsuitable for publication on the Website.

Your Agreement

Prior to submitting, you agree to the following:

  • You will provide information that is accurate to the best of your knowledge;
  • You will not use foul language;
  • You will not defame or libel any person;
  • In expressing your opinions you will avoid language aimed at damaging, intimidating or belittling others;
  • You agree that the UNSW Canberra may post your contributions on this site, and may also edit your contributions before posting them on the website;
  • You will abide by all decisions of UNSW Canberra in regard to publication on the site of your contributions;
  • You will not attempt to damage the website.

Copyright

We own the copyright of all material on this site, with the exception of contributions from site visitors and certain images used as site assets.

Subject to our obligations under our Privacy Policy you grant us the right to publish, store, or modify, in any form or by any means, in whole or part, your contribution/s. You warrant that you have the right to grant us such rights.

The aim of this website is to create a resource to encourage and assist study and research into the Australian and New Zealand involvement in the Vietnam War. Hence, your contributions, once posted on the Website, will be available to the public to read, reproduce, or otherwise use as they wish. Your uploads to the website, including your text and scanned images, will be watermarked with your name and veteran status.

If you believe that any material has been posted on the site, in violation of your rights, please contact us.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnity

You acknowledge that we are not responsible for the accuracy of, and accept no liability in relation to, your contribution to the site.

You agree to indemnify us for any loss, damage, cost or expense that we may suffer or incur as a result of or in connection with your use of or conduct in connection with the site, including any breach by you of these terms and conditions.

General

No partnership, joint venture, employment, or agency relationship exists between you and us as a result of these terms and conditions or your use of this website.

These terms and conditions represent the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of this website.

We reserve the right to disable or delete the accounts of users who fail or refuse to comply with these terms.

If any provision of these terms and conditions is held to be invalid, the remainder of these terms and conditions shall continue in full force and effect.