The names of thirteen Concordia old collegians who served in the Vietnam War appear on the honour board in the Suaviter, previously the chapel. Errol Noack, a Concordia student in 1960 was the only casualty among them. Because he was also the first Australian soldier killed in the Vietnam War, he achieved instant fame on the front page of all Australian newspapers on 25th May, 1966. Yet the true circumstances surrounding his death remain somewhat unclear.
Noack was among the first intake of national servicemen enlisted by ballot on June 30th, 1965.After celebrating his 21st birthday with his family in Adelaide on May 8th, 1966, he left for South Vietnam. A member of No.5 Platoon, 'B' Company, Noack flew in by helicopter on the morning of May 24th. The weather was hot and the soldiers struggled to push through the dense scrub in single file. Late that afternoon, 'B' Company set up camp for the night. With 'A' Company operating close by, a forward listening post was set up to warn if anyone approached. Members of No.5 Platoon, including Noack, were chosen for this duty.
As they moved through the scrub, they came under sudden fire. Everyone immediately, went to ground and returned fire. During a pause, Noack moved to another position and was hit in the side by a bullet from a sub-machine gun. He died in a helicopter on the way to hospital at Vung Tau.
The first reports attributed his death to friendly fire, as it was quite apparent that 'A' Company and 'B' Company were shooting at each other.
Yet on May 25th official reports stated that Noack had been killed by enemy gunfire. Nevertheless, the men of 'A' and 'B' companies remained firmly convinced that he had perished as a result of a tragic error.
Noack became a symbol of the small but growing anti-Vietnam War movement in Australia. On June 1st a crowd of around 2000 gathered for his military funeral at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Flinders St., Adelaide. He was buried in the Garden of Remembrance, Centennial Park Cemetery.
Noack was among the first intake of national servicemen enlisted by ballot on June 30th, 1965.After celebrating his 21st birthday with his family in Adelaide on May 8th, 1966, he left for South Vietnam. A member of No.5 Platoon, 'B' Company, Noack flew in by helicopter on the morning of May 24th. The weather was hot and the soldiers struggled to push through the dense scrub in single file. Late that afternoon, 'B' Company set up camp for the night. With 'A' Company operating close by, a forward listening post was set up to warn if anyone approached. Members of No.5 Platoon, including Noack, were chosen for this duty.
As they moved through the scrub, they came under sudden fire. Everyone immediately, went to ground and returned fire. During a pause, Noack moved to another position and was hit in the side by a bullet from a sub-machine gun. He died in a helicopter on the way to hospital at Vung Tau.
The first reports attributed his death to friendly fire, as it was quite apparent that 'A' Company and 'B' Company were shooting at each other.
Yet on May 25th official reports stated that Noack had been killed by enemy gunfire. Nevertheless, the men of 'A' and 'B' companies remained firmly convinced that he had perished as a result of a tragic error.
Noack became a symbol of the small but growing anti-Vietnam War movement in Australia. On June 1st a crowd of around 2000 gathered for his military funeral at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Flinders St., Adelaide. He was buried in the Garden of Remembrance, Centennial Park Cemetery.
No comments:
Post a Comment