A medical Civic Aid Program (Medcap) team from the RAAF became the first team to visit Long Son, ...

A medical Civic Aid Program (Medcap) team from the RAAF became the first team to visit Long Son, an island six miles north of Vung Tau, which had been the scene of recent Viet Cong (VC) activity. The RAAF party led by the RAAF Doctor, 43394 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Ian Favilla, of Wallaroo, SA, travelled to the island in boats of the Vietnamese Navy Junk Force, guarded a by heavily armed platoon of Vietnamese troops led by an Australian Army advisor. A clinic was set up in the market place as the troops fanned out to secure the area against possible VC attack, and soon a long line of mothers with children in arms were waiting for treatment. As each patient had been washed and treated, the mother was given a parcel of milk, rice, wheat and baby food. Dr Favilla and his team treated about 70 patients on this day. 56051 Sergeant (Sgt) Michael Arthur (Mike) Chapman, RAAF Service Policeman, of Cloverdale, WA, spent his Sunday off with the Medcap team, visiting Long Son Island. He is seen here washing a Vietnamese girl before she was treated for a bad skin infection.