2016 Fifty Cent Australia at War - Vietnam War (50c) Uncirculated Australian Decimal Coin

An essential chapter in the history of Australia at war, Vietnam was a protracted conflict on the battlefield, and an unpopular war at home as Australians came to terms with the realities of modern conflict, far removed from the trenches of the world wars previously experienced.

Australia joined American forces in South Vietnam in 1964 following a request from the South Vietnamese government to assist with a growing communist insurgency. The first to arrive were a group of 30 technical and strategic advisers collectively referred to as the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV).
The AATTV would gradually swell in numbers periodically until the larger deployment of Australian forces began later in the war.

Australian units conducted an extensive campaign against the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army in the province of Phuoc Tuy until 1972.

The Australian war was mainly one of extensive jungle patrolling, but major actions were fought at Long Tan, Fire Support Bases at Coral and Balmoral, Binh Ba and Long Khanh.