Vietnam heroes recognised after 44 years
IAN McPHEDRAN - DEFENCE WRITER
News Corp Australia Network
December 01, 2012 12:00AM
Dive heroes
Col Darling, Robert Spicer, Clem Littleton with Spencer Broom, who is the grandson of 5th member Robert Cox (deceased), and Barry Wilson pictured at HMAS Penguin in Sydney. Source: News Limited
DIVING blind, hand over hand down a ship's anchor chain in the murky waters of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam in 1968, using only those hands to search for explosives or other weapons, was not a job for the faint hearted.
Forty four years after they participated in a highly dangerous operation code-named SEALORDS, six former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers have been honoured with a United States Presidential Unit Citation signed by the late US President Richard Nixon.
SEALORDS was an acronym for Southeast Asia Lake, Ocean, River, and Delta Strategy and was aimed at disrupting enemy supply lines through Cambodia and the delta between August 1968 and March 1969.
The commander of Clearance Diving Team 3 detachment four, Commodore Clem Littleton from WA and three of his men, Col Darling from Bribie Island and Barry Wilson from Pelican Waters in Queensland and Robert Spicer from Mornington in Victoria were presented with their belated award "for extraordfinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty" by US Ambassador to Australia Jeff Bleich and Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Ray Griggs at HMAS Penguin overlooking Sydney harbour yesterday.
The fifth surviving team member, David Rhook, was absent due to a cancelled flight out of Melbourne and the deceased member, Robert Cox, was represented by his daughter Sally Broom from Mudgee in NSW and her son Spencer.
Vietnam
Col Darling, Barry Wilson and Robert Cox (deceased) at in Nui Dat, Vietnam, disposing of shells, mines and bombs.
Mr Wilson said he and his comrades were "chuffed" with the award that was first presented to the US sailors from SEALORDS at the end of the war in 1975.
Australian authorities were not informed and it was only in 2010 after some research by the Clearance Divers Association that then navy chief Vice Admiral Russ Crane, himself a former clearance diver, got the ball rolling.
According to Barry Wilson, no two days were the same for the two-man teams, who could be dropped by helicopter carrying pockets full of explosives and detonators or spend days patrolling along a river blowing up enemy bunkers while under rocket attack.
"We knocked out 36 bunkers in one day in the delta," Mr Wilson said.
"Another day we destroyed 32 tonnes of enemy munitions near Nui Dat."
Apart from bombs and enemy rounds the most serious hazard faced by the divers were the strong currents and zero visibility.
During one mission the men had to link arms and walk through neck deep muddy water searching for enemy bodies or body parts with their feet.
Admiral Griggs said there was no doubt the award should have been presented many years ago.
He said that due to the dangerous and difficult work of the divers tens of thousands of troops and millions of tonnes of cargo safely negotiated Vietnamese ports.
"Your outstanding service is fully acknowledged," he said.
President of the Clearance Divers Association, Larry Digney, said the branch was the only unit in the navy to receive the US Presidential citation.
"It may be 44 years after the event, but it has been worth the wait," he said.
Forty nine Australian clearance divers, whose motto is "united and undaunted", were deployed to South Vietnam over four years.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/vietnam-heroes-recognised-after-44-years/story-e6frg6n6-1226527770785
