Army Minister visits troops in Vietnam DPR/TV/814

The Army Minister, Mr Phillip Lynch, visited Australian combat troops serving in Vietnam during the weekend. On his arrival at the Task Force base at Nui Dat he was met by the Commander, Brigadier Ron Hughes of Stafford Heights, Qld. During the visit he had informal talks with troops based at the nearby "Horseshoe" base and other soldiers taking part in operations in the Long Hai hills south of the Task Force base. Wearing casual clothes and Army boots, Mr Lynch spoke freely with the soldiers on subjects ranging from sandbags to Centurion tanks. At a well dug-in gun site at the "Horseshoe" base, Mr Lynch closely inspected a 105 mm Howitzer. Mr Lynch was accompanied on his tour by the Commander of the Australian Force Vietnam, Major-General A. L. MacDonald and Army Department Secretary, Mr Bruce White. He then inspected elements of the recently arrived 1st Armoured Regiment, including their bridge laying tanks. After leaving the "Horseshoe" the Army Minister moved by vehicle to Baria, the capital of Phuoc Tuy province, where he visited the Province Chief. In Baria he also inspected several projects which were initiated or are being done by the Australian Civil Affairs Unit with the Task Force. One of these in which the Minister showed a keen interest was the construction of extra classrooms for the local high school. The rooms are being constructed by local Vietnamese in the city under the supervision of the engineer with the Civil Affairs Unit. (Also identified: Major John Knell of The Grange, Qld, OC A Coy 2 RAR; OC battery Maj Jock Jenvey of Brisbane, Qld; UPI Cameraman Dennis Ross; OC C Squadron 1st Armoured Regiment, Major Peter Badman of Cronulla, NSW)