Veteran Story: Barry John Kirby was born on 28th September 1944 in Rosewood Qld. He served with the 8th Royal Australian Regiment between 17th November 1969 and 12th November 1970. The 8RAR saw distinctive service ion Vietnam in particular the battle of the Long Hai hills and also served in Operation Hammersley. The unit receive a citation "The Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Citation". The citation read as follows: The Eighth Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force. An excellent combat unit, always displaying high morale while co-operating and assisting the Vietnamese people in their struggle against Communism and to defend peace and freedom. While operating in Military Region III, Republic of Vietnam from 28 November 1969 to the present, the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force participated in almost every military operation to search out and destroy the enemy in Phuoc Tuy province. Though fighting under the most difficult conditions, the members of the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force still fought bravely and determinedly and had many glorious victories. Their most remarkable military operations took place in the area of the Long Hai hills.
This area is known as ‘Minh Dam Secret Zone’, a base area of the main force Communist units in Phuoc Tuy province. This zone was strongly protected by mines and ditches and had caused many losses to the Allied Forces. But with modern tactics and a determined spirit, the forces of the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force conducted continuous operations against the area and destroyed the enemy’s secret zone, causing great casualties to the communists and forcing them from the area, thus bringing peace to the Vietnamese people living there. Besides their own military operations, the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force co -ordinated closely with the Vietnamese Regional Forces and Popular Forces in Long Le sub-sector, organised patrols and ambushes around villages and hamlets, caused heavy casualties to the communists and thereby greatly assisted the Pacification and Development Programme of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam.
Together with their military effort, the members of the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force participated in the civic action programme to assist the local population to reconstruct their houses, roads, bridges, markets and schools etc., and achieved excellent results. Through their glorious activities outlined above, the 8th Battalion, 1st Australian Task Force contributed significantly to the anti-communist struggles of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam, thereby bringing great credit to the Royal Australian Armed Forces.
Source: RAR Association website: https://8rarassociation.org/history2/
