New Zealand in the Vietnam War was controversial, sparking widespread protest at home from anti-Vietnam War movements modelled on their American counterparts. This conflict was also the first in which New Zealand did not fight alongside the United Kingdom, instead following the loyalties of the ANZUS Treaty.
New Zealand decided to send troops to Vietnam in 1964 because of Cold War concerns and alliance considerations. The potential adverse effect on the ANZUS alliance of not supporting the United States (and Australia) in Vietnam was key. It also upheld New Zealand's national interests of countering communism in Southeast Asia.
The government wanted to maintain solidarity with the United States, but was unsure about the likely outcome of external military intervention in Vietnam. Prime Minister Keith Holyoake decided to keep New Zealand involvement in Vietnam at the minimum level deemed necessary to meet allied expectations.
History
Initial contributions New Zealand's initial response was carefully considered and characterised by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake's cautiousness toward the entire Vietnam question. While it was considered that New Zealand should support South Vietnam, as Holyoake alleged;
Whose will is to prevail in South Vietnam? The imposed will of the North Vietnamese communists and their agents, or the freely expressed will of the people of South Vietnam?
The government preferred minimal involvement, with other South East Asian deployments already placing a strain on New Zealand's armed forces. From 1961, New Zealand came under pressure from the United States of America to contribute military and economic assistance to South Vietnam, but refused. At that time, aircraft were tasked to deliver supplies to Da Nang on the way from RAF Changi to Hong Kong from time to time.
In 1962, Australia sent advisors, as the United States had, but again New Zealand refused to make a similar contribution.
Civilian Surgical Team In April 1963, New Zealand confined its assistance to sending a civilian surgical team. The surgical team was initially made up of seven men and would eventually grow to sixteen, and remained in the country until 1975. The doctors and nurses who worked there were all volunteers from New Zealand hospitals. The team worked for civilians at the Binh Dinh Province Hospital, in Qui Nhon, an overcrowded and dirty facility almost completely lacking equipment and bedding. It would be the last New Zealand Government agency to withdraw from Vietnam. Lesley Estelle Cowper, while on leave from the Royal New Zealand Army Nursing Corps, served as a nurse with the Surgical Team in Qui Nhon. She became seriously ill after contracting tuberculosis and died in a Saigon hospital on 2 May 1966.
In 1975, as North Vietnamese columns approached Qui Nhon, the civilian surgical team was withdrawn to Saigon. The RNZAF evacuated them and other New Zealanders, including embassy staff, shortly before the capital’s fall on 30 April 1975. They were the first New Zealanders to arrive and last to leave Vietnam.
New Zealand Army Detachment Vietnam (NEWZAD)
Under continuing American pressure, the government agreed during 1963 to provide a small non-combatant military force, but the deteriorating political situation in Saigon led to delays. Not until June 1964 did twenty-five Army engineers from the Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers arrive in South Vietnam. On the same day of their arrival, a small headquarters unit established in Saigon. Based at Thủ Dầu Một, the capital of Bình Dương Province, the New Zealand Army Detachment Vietnam (NEWZAD) engineers were engaged in reconstruction projects, such as road and bridge building, until July 1965.
Non-military economic assistance
New Zealand non-military economic assistance would continue from 1966 onward and averaged at US$347,500 annually. This funding went to several mobile health teams to support refugee camps, the training of village vocational experts, to medical and teaching equipment for Hue University, equipment for a technical high school and a contribution toward the construction of a science building at the University of Saigon. Private civilian funding was also donated for 80 Vietnamese students to take scholarships in New Zealand.
Military assistance
American pressure continued for New Zealand to contribute military assistance, as the United States would be deploying combat units (as opposed to merely advisors) itself soon, as would Australia. Holyoake justified New Zealand's lack of assistance by pointing to its military contribution to the Indonesia-Malaysian Confrontation, but eventually the government decided to contribute. It was seen as in the nation's best interests to do so—failure to contribute even a token force to the effort in Vietnam would have undermined New Zealand's position in ANZUS and could have had an adverse effect on the alliance itself. New Zealand had also established its post-Second World War security agenda around countering communism in South-East Asia and of sustaining a strategy of forward defence, and so needed to be seen to be acting upon these principles.
The New Zealand headquarters established in Saigon in 1964 was renamed "Headquarters Vietnam Force" (HQ V Force) on 2 July 1965. The administration of the subsequent New Zealand forces was managed here involving military personnel from all New Zealand branches of service including Military Police. New Zealand Military Police patrolled with Australian Military Police and U.S Military Police as part of security operations of U.S. Naval Support Activity Saigon which was responsible for the protection of U.S personnel and installations in Saigon. The New Zealanders and Australians also protected their own personnel and installations within the security net.
On 4 December 1965 a car bomb explosion in Saigon claimed the life of one member of HQ V Force and injured three others. No further HQ V Force members were injured during the remainder of New Zealand's time in Vietnam.
Royal New Zealand Artillery (RNZA)
On 27 May 1965 Holyoake announced the government's decision to send 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery to South Vietnam in a combat role. The New Zealand Army Detachment (NEWZAD) engineers were replaced by the Battery in July 1965, which consisted of nine officers and 101 other ranks and four 105 mm L5 pack howitzers (later increased to six, and in 1967 replaced with 105 mm M2A2 Howitzers).
U.S 173rd Airborne Brigade 161 Battery was initially under command of the United States Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade which had arrived to Vietnam two months before and was based at Bien Hoa Base Camp northeast of Saigon. 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, the first of Australia's ground forces, arrived a month before the New Zealanders and were also under command of the 173rd. New Zealand artillery supported U.S. and Australian infantry operations for 12 months. Sergeant Alastair John Sherwood Don and Bombardier Robert White of 161 Bty were the first New Zealand casualties of the Vietnam War when the front of their Land Rover was blown up by a Vietcong command detonated mine during a convoy on 14 September 1965.
In June 1966, the Australian forces were detached from the 173rd and given their own Tactical area of responsibility and tasked with establishing a base at Nui Dat ("Dirt Hill"), in Phuoc Tuy Province thus becoming the 1st Australian Task Force.
1st Australian Task Force
At the same time, the New Zealand government was given the choice of allowing the New Zealand battery to remain at Bien Hoa with the 173rd under U.S. command or integrate with the new Australian task force. It was decided the battery would join 1ATF and serve with Royal Australian Artillery field regiments. Forward Observers for the battery would patrol with all infantry companies of the Australian and New Zealand infantry while on operations, as they did with American and Australian infantry during their time under the 173rd, to direct artillery support when called upon.
The gunners were noted for their key role in assisting the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR), during the Battle of Long Tan on 18 August 1966. The battery also played important roles during the Tet Offensive and the Battle of Coral–Balmoral in 1968. The Battery left Vietnam in May 1971 after providing virtually continuous fire support usually in support of Australian and New Zealand infantry units for six years, with over 750 men having served with the Battery with a loss of five casualties during the period of its deployment.
New Zealand Services Medical Team (NZSMT) New Zealand's military presence in South Vietnam was increased in April 1967 with the arrival of the 1st New Zealand Services Medical Team, a 19-strong detachment consisting of medical personnel from the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps under the U.S Military Public Health Assistance Programme (MILPHAP). The team's role was to provide medical and surgical assistance to South Vietnamese civilians and developing local knowledge in this field. The New Zealanders relieved a United States Army medical team at Bong Son, to the north of Qui Nhon where the New Zealand Civilian Surgical Team operated, also in Bình Định Province. In addition to civilian casualties, they also treated military casualties who were brought to the Bong Son Dispensary, including Army of the Republic of Vietnam personnel and Viet Cong prisoners.
In June 1969, the team moved to the new 100-bed Bong Son Impact Hospital. The average bed-state was 92 and approximately 46,000 outpatients (mostly civilians) were treated annually before the team's withdrawal in December 1971. Overall there were 98 personnel involved over the four-and-a-half years of the Team's deployment: 47 from the Army, 27 from the Air Force and 24 from the Navy.
One RNZAF member of the NZSMT, Sgt Gordon Watt, was killed by a booby trap in 1970.
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR)
In 1966, when Confrontation came to an end and Australia decided to expand the 1st Australian Task Force, New Zealand came under pressure to increase its commitment too and did so. In May 1967, a 182-man rifle company, (Victor One Company) was deployed to Vietnam from the 1st Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in Malaysia. The first Victor Company served a 6-month tour of duty. In December a second Victor Company was deployed to Vietnam and was joined by Whisky Company in December, both from the 1st Battalion.
Both companies served in the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province. Initially Whisky Company served under operational control of 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) which arrived at the same time as Whisky Company, while Victor 2 Company continued to serve under 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR.) A NZ Component was established at Nui Dat to manage national administration of the New Zealand contingents within 1 ATF.
Following agreement between the Australian and New Zealand Governments in late February 1968, V2 Company and W Company and A, B, and C Companies of 2RAR were amalgamated to become 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion (2RAR/NZ) from 1 March 1968. The new "ANZAC Battalion" was the only Australian battalion to have five rifle companies. The 2IC was filled by RNZIR Officer, Major Robert Ian Thorpe.
In May 1968 Victor 2 was replaced by Victor 3. Hereafter the tour of duty for all RNZIR companies was extended to twelve months. On 1 June 2 RAR was replaced by 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) and the joint Australian and New Zealander infantry forces became 4 RAR/NZ (ANZAC) again with a New Zealander as 2IC, Major ATA Mataira. On 8 November 1968 the first Whisky Company left Vietnam and was replaced by a second Whisky Company.