Video summary

Battle of Long Tan - Peter Harvey 60 Minutes - Vietnam War - Forgotten Heroes

Main summary

Key takeaways

News and Commentary

Overview

The video revisits the Battle of Long Tan (1966), arguing that it was one of Australia’s most significant Vietnam War victories—while also claiming it has been neglected or deliberately downplayed by the Australian government.

Reporter Peter Harvey joins surviving Australian veterans on a return “pilgrimage” to the rubber plantation battlefield, framing the trip as an opportunity to honor “forgotten heroes” and confront what they believe was suppressed.

Key Points of the Battle and Commentary

  • Scale and odds

    • Australians are described as heavily outnumbered: roughly 100 Australians versus around 2,000 Viet Cong/North Vietnamese.
    • Despite these odds, the narrative emphasizes Australian success.

  • Initial setup and enemy intent

    • Military historian Ashley Eans is presented describing Long Tan as a major Australian victory despite unfavorable odds.
    • The enemy is characterized as using human-wave assaults, drawing on experience from earlier wars (against the French, South Vietnamese, and Americans).

  • Sequence of fighting

    • On August 17–18, 1966, Viet Cong/North Vietnamese forces begin probing and testing.
    • On the next day, Major Harry Smith’s Delta Company moves out.
    • An early patrol contact escalates quickly into a larger engagement once Australians realize they are facing far more enemy forces than expected.

  • Radio calls and loss of command

    • The video highlights chaos and shock, especially the early death of patrol leadership, including Gordon Sharp (shot in the neck).
    • Veterans describe fear and helplessness—watching comrades die moments after they had been speaking.

  • Weather as tactical cover

    • Heavy monsoon rain creates mist that limits visibility.
    • This is portrayed as helping Australians avoid being fully targeted, even while enduring intense assault.

  • Artillery and reinforcements as decisive factors

    • The narrative emphasizes the importance of artillery fired from about 5 km away, despite gunners and targets not seeing each other directly.
    • Troop carriers arrive as reinforcements, and the battle ends soon after nightfall.

  • Costs and aftermath

    • Australians report 18 men killed, mostly from Bob’s platoon.
    • Survivors describe the second-day reality of returning to the battlefield—its “smell and carnage”—which they say infantrymen are not prepared for.

  • Vietnamese perspective on the outcome

    • Vietnamese commander “Commander Thu” is shown with physical scars.
    • The Vietnamese side is said to have claimed victory for 40 years.

    • The video also points to a shared truth between sides:

      “You won this battle, but we won the war.”

    • Long Tan is portrayed as having prevented the Vietnamese from fighting Australians head-on again for the rest of the war.

  • Recognition and political neglect

    • A major theme is the claim that Australian institutions treated veterans as if their actions should be “put under the carpet.”
    • The video contrasts this with U.S. recognition (including citation by the U.S. president) and apparent South Vietnamese applause, while arguing that the Australians’ own government failed to acknowledge Long Tan’s significance.

Overall Argument

Long Tan is portrayed as more than a battlefield triumph: it’s presented as a case where courage and sacrifice were later underrecognized. The veterans’ return to the site reframes the memory of the battle as both historically important and personally defining.

Presenters or Contributors

  • Peter Harvey
  • Ashley Eans (military historian)
  • Bob Buick (Vietnam War veteran, Delta Company)
  • David Sabin (Vietnam War veteran, Delta Company)
  • David (also referenced as Dave Sabin)
  • Commander Thu (Vietnamese commander; contributor via interview/portrayal)

Mentioned Individuals (Named in the Recounting)

  • Major Harry Smith (named in recounting; not presented as a contributor)
  • Gordon Sharp (named in recounting; not presented as a contributor)
  • Jim Richmond (named as wounded; contributor not indicated)
  • Barry Meloor (named as wounded; contributor not indicated)
  • US President (mentioned; not directly present)

Original video