The firefight was intense but brief. When it was over, Mark's men cautiously emerged from their positions to assess the damage. Two VC killed, and several more escaped into the darkness.
And with that, they disappeared into the jungle once more, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As the sun rose over the jungle, Mark's platoon began to withdraw, leaving behind a secure village and a clear message: 20RAR had been there.
The dense jungle air clung to Lieutenant Mark Thompson like a wet shroud as he led his platoon, 3 Platoon, C Company, 20th Royal Australian Infantry Regiment (20RAR), through the underbrush. Their patrol had been tasked with securing a suspected Viet Cong (VC) village deep in the heart of Phuoc Tuy Province.
The patrol's interpreter, a young Vietnamese man named Hung, began to question the villagers, trying to glean information about VC activity in the area. Mark and his men knew that in the world of counter-insurgency, intelligence was key.
The firefight was intense but brief. When it was over, Mark's men cautiously emerged from their positions to assess the damage. Two VC killed, and several more escaped into the darkness.
And with that, they disappeared into the jungle once more, ready to face whatever lay ahead.
As the sun rose over the jungle, Mark's platoon began to withdraw, leaving behind a secure village and a clear message: 20RAR had been there.
The dense jungle air clung to Lieutenant Mark Thompson like a wet shroud as he led his platoon, 3 Platoon, C Company, 20th Royal Australian Infantry Regiment (20RAR), through the underbrush. Their patrol had been tasked with securing a suspected Viet Cong (VC) village deep in the heart of Phuoc Tuy Province.
The patrol's interpreter, a young Vietnamese man named Hung, began to question the villagers, trying to glean information about VC activity in the area. Mark and his men knew that in the world of counter-insurgency, intelligence was key.