A Pogo's Perspective: A Non-Combatant Soldiers Viet Nam Experience; Its Affects & Aftermath

by Greg Smith

- The term Pogo was a label given to every soldier in Vietnam whose role it was to support the troops involved in combat duties, supposedly a safe vocation. Examples would be Orderly Room, Q-Store, Cooks, Ordnance, Medical and Dental Staff, et cetera. Most Pogos completed their duties supporting the combatant serviceman with distinction. But a result of that role was that they carried, and most still carry guilt for mates lost or wounded, those that were doing it tougher, outside the wire. These were mates that they could not physically stand beside and support. Their administrative role is often underestimated. A Pogos Perspective (A non-combatant soldiers Viet Nam experience:its affects & aftermath) The title itself requires some explanation. Pogo is an acronym from the British military which means - "Personnel on garrison operations". In other words people like clerks, cooks, medics etc who were not at the front line. It was a bit of a misnomer in Viet Nam as there was no such thing as a front line. The book will be of interest to any reader not just veterans. It commences as my experiences being called up for National Service, the rigors of training and discipline then details my tour of duty in Viet Nam. I served in an Armoured Unit - A Sqn 3 Cav Regt. On completion of my tour if relates my experiences on return to a hostile Australia then the down hill spiral of emotion. It then explains the affect that service had on wives, partners, family and loved ones. It goes on to list treatments and management skills available to all. It champions the cause of the Pogo whose efforts have never been recognised or whose role has never been explained in the public forum. In particular it enlightens the guilt that most Pogos felt and indeed still feel, for lost or wounded mates because they were not physically supporting the fighting troops. It also clarifies that Pogos were not excluded from injury. My Orderly Room Sergeant went within a whisker of loosing his life when the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) he was riding on detonated a huge mine. Of the 50,000 troops that served in Viet Nam approximately 35,00 were Pogos. Finally it details how all members of the public, but in particular politicians should stand by the troops that they sent to fight the battles that they chose for our Country to become involved in. The connection in the lead up to Anzac Day is the mateship and camaraderie that was formed by all who served and the link between Viet Nam and current peacekeepers and peacemakers.

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2007

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.