Studio portrait of 215989 Trooper Russell James Copeman, 3 Special Air Service Squadron

Studio portrait of 215989 Trooper (Tpr) Russell James Copeman, 3 Special Air Service Squadron (3SAS). Tpr Copeman had previously served with the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) in Wollongong before joining the Regular Army. He commenced his tour of duty of Vietnam with the SAS on 15 June 1966. During a four man patrol on 18 January 1967, Tpr Copeman, serving as a medic, was seriously injured by enemy fire. 18302 Tpr John Wesley 'Juvy' Matten carried him to safety and attended to his wounds. Tpr Copeman was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital at Vung Tau. Because of the critical nature of his wounds, Tpr Copeman's mother was flown to Vietnam to visit her son under the AUSDIL (Australians Dangerously Ill) scheme operated by the Department of Defence. His father, Major James Copeman, also received permission to fly to Vietnam to visit. He was at the time a Military Observer with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation at Tiberias, Israel. After several operations on Tpr Copeman's wounds it was decided to evacuate him to Australia. He was taken to 2 Camp Hospital, Ingleburn. His condition deteriorated and he died on 10 April 1967, aged 20. Tpr Copeman was the only SAS serviceman to die in the Vietnam War as the result of enemy action.