Today the mere mention of Vietnam conjures up images of protest in American streets and tensions so strong they divided a country. Yet the United States did not fight alone. Comparatively little is known about Australia's experience-its motives for entering the conflict, national support for Australia's role there, and how that nation dealt with the aftermath of war. Here, Jeff Doyle, Jeffrey Grey, and Peter Pierce chronicle Australia's complicated involvement in Vietnam.
Australia's decision to participate in the conflict was part of a collective Western effort to stop Communist...