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areas where they fought so tenaciously against the Viet Cong in May 1968 are now working rubber plantations, and are regarded by the Vietnamese government as ‘sensitive sites’. There are now large obelisk monuments at the sites honouring the Viet Cong soldiers who died in the battles. At the Coral site is a crypt that holds the remains of about 41 Viet Cong soldiers who were buried in a mass grave by the Australians. 10
    To visit the battle sites requires a permit that travel companies need to organise in advance with the government’s tourist organisation and which must be carried by visitors. It is also customary to visit the local People’s District Committee beforehand as a courtesy before entering the sites.
    I was on such a visit in 2002 and mistakenly believed that the tourist company had issued my guide with permits for both sites, but found myself detained at the local police station for an afternoon as only one battle site was covered by the permit. Spending an afternoon at gunpoint in a holding room is not everyone’s idea of a good time, so it pays to make sure with your guide and travel company that your permits cover all ‘sensitive sites’ you intend to visit. When in doubt, ask at the local police station. You may find a ‘fee’ will allow you unfettered access. Enough said.
    The Mekong Delta
    During the war, the Mekong Delta to the south of Ho Chi Minh City was the preserve of the brown water navies of the Republic of (South) Viet Nam and the US Navy SEAL (Sea Air and Land) commando teams, the US Marine Corps and US Special Forces soldiers. The Allies relied principally on amphibious and heliborne operations, with Australian support in the form of the AATTV, Canberra bomber crews on air strike missions, forward air controllers, and Royal Australian diving teams who helped clear stakes, booby traps and mines from the many waterways that created dangerous obstacles for Allied patrol craft. The enemy were also heavily engaged in the destruction of bridges, using floating birdcage mines with timed fuses.
    Travelling south to the Mekong Delta region has been fraught with problems in recent years mainly owing to poor roads, unreliable ferry services and communication difficulties. However, within a year or so it is anticipated that trips down to the Delta will become more frequent. There is a lot of flat, green empty space to look at on that voyage, apart from the ribbon development on each side of the road. Unless there is a special reason for seeing the area, a single overnight trip will usually suffice to satisfy the curious.
    Peter Rogers and his wife Suzie visited the Delta region, and although Peter never served there he did find it interesting:
    Down on the Delta, where people live their whole lives on their boats, was something else. It is a land of contrasts and is totally different to what most Diggers remember, and that is reason enough for going back to my mind. 11

Chapter 5
OUTSIDE THE WIRE: PHUOC TUY
    Travelling outside the wire throughout Phuoc Tuy is relatively simple. The arterials are all well marked and guides very rarely get geographically misplaced. I have even used a war-era map and been able to get from one side of the province to the other with little trouble. Most groups base themselves down at Vung Tau while they spend a couple of days touring the province. The areas they will normally visit are Nui Dat, The Horseshoe, the Memorial Cross site at Long Tan; they will also do a circuit around the mountains at the southern end of the province including the Long Hai Hills, and the Nui Thi Vai and Nui Dinh Mountains. If they have time, groups can also venture further afield to Xuyen Moc and do a circuit up to Binh Ba north of Nui Dat, and then motor west across the Hat Dich area and turn south back down past Long Son Island to Vung Tau.
    Ba Ria–Vung Tau (Phuoc Tuy) Province
    Situated about 40 kilometres south-east of the former Saigon, Phuoc Tuy