I was absolutely positive as I stepped off the Huey and into the open field that I was going to step on a mine. Having set foot on the ground and nothing happening I thought it wasn’t as bad as everyone had made out! WRONG again the 5 RAR guys were already fully acclimatised and a well drilled killing machine. No need to go into any of that, but when 7 RAR arrived it was a debacle I was told I could not use a hammock which I grabbed off one of the NVA that we met and that I had to dig in every time we harboured, that lasted about 3 nights before they learned that all it did was tell the NVA where we were because of the amount of noise those bloody entrenching tools made. Needless to say, we never took them out with us again, only the guys who dug the trench for craping in had them. After 9 months in the field the Boss decided I could have a rest and go back to the BCs party. Those last 3 months gave me a great understanding of how the 7RAR Infantry Command Post and the 106 Battery worked hand in hand. David Gilroy was our BC and Brian Rudduck Sgt was his right-hand man, two of the finest people you could have wished to be around, totally professional and they knew their stuff. The BC’s party consisted of Brian Cunningham, myself, Fred Zeraffa, Peter McDowell and Brian Ruddock in those last months. In my last weeks in Vietnam, I got quite friendly with the RA Sigs Captain Ken Ryan who was charged arranging the fixing of the communications links back to Nui Dat from our fire support base Horseshoe. After figuring out that I had better get a trade that might be useful in civvy street I made the big decision to Corps transfer to RA Sigs and Captain Ryan facilitated it all. The saddest point in my life was arriving home from Vietnam in Sydney and saying goodbye to all my mates, you know the forever ones! Now with all my paperwork in hand I set off to Melbourne to go on leave then join RA Sigs in Watsonia barracks. With Leave done I returned to the School of Signals to undertake Corps training!!! Yep same old same old room inspections in and out to the parade ground and I was struggling to be honest until a corporal in charge of the wing discovered I was a veteran, well life changed instantly, no more parades other than those important ones and there I was with ribbons on with a bunch of recruits, there were lots of puzzled looks come the inspections on parade. My RA Sigs saviour and good friend was Corporal Noel Watson a Technician Electronic. His advice and training set me up for the rest of my life. Had many a Friday night on the grog at his house mixing with all his rock and roll mates. Having completed my technical training and Corps training back to back, I was posted to 5 Signal Regiment located on a hilltop in the Sydney suburb of Dundas. 5 Sig Regt was one of the Army message Transmitting and Receiving stations with the Transmitters located at Bringelly and the Receivers located at Wallgrove. The message switches were very advanced computers for the day manufactured by STC (Standard Telephones and Cables), they would store (receive) and forward (transmit) messages based on ACP127 format, everything was paper based, paper tape and teleprinter paper rolls. Most messages were encrypted especially those between local communication centres. I discovered a couple of things while at 5 Sig, there was a different Army out there, one that had lots of women in it, all professionals and great people. My wife was one! Now it is crunch time 6 years are coming up what do I do, there was a small reengagement bonus? I had been working side by side with some of the STC civvies maintaining STRAD (Signal Transmitting Receiving and Distribution) they said we have a new section opening why don’t you go and talk to them. This new section was STC Data Systems and it was all about the emerging computer industry. I had my STC meeting with an ex-Sig Sergeant by the name of Lloyd Claxton who not only said I had the job but wanted me to start straight away on a salary I could not believe. Back to the regiment at Dundas where I announced that I would not be extending with the army.
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