Diggers assist Vietnamese civilians harvest Viet Cong crops DPR/TV/1157

After years of being forced to provide food for the Vietcong, the people of two Vietnamese villages in Phuoc Tuy Province this week struck back to harvest enemy crops with Australian Army assistance. During a recent operation, Centurion tanks of B Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, found a 15 acre VC cornfield with pumpkins and other vegetables growing between the main crop. The VC project follows a growing food shortage by the enemy in Phuoc Tuy Province, which has forced him to grow more crops in jungle clearings to provide his needs. Once the Australians decided to allow the villagers to benefit from the VC efforts, they ambushed the garden area for up to three days before the civil affairs operation began, halting any enemy movement into the area. The harvest was a family affair and more than 200 people turned out from the neighbouring villages of La Van and Vinh Thanh, about six miles north of the Australian Task Force base. They were protected by the Centurion tanks, armoured personnel carriers of B Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, infantry of the Task Force Headquarters Defence platoon and their own Popular Force Platoon. It was considered fitting that the villagers of La Van and Vinh Thanh were chosen to harvest and reap the benefits of the enemy crops. They are predominantly Montagnard and have strongly resisted VC attempts to dominate their villages. During the two day combined operation eight 5-ton trucks were filled. Task Force operations have long been aimed at denying VC access to the populated areas of the Province for recruits and food. And one point the increasing number of defecting VC have given for surrendering has been a lack of food. It is operational policy that is paying off and is an indicator of success in a situation where positive indicators are difficult to detect. Also identified: Tpr Murray Madden of Albany, WA; Captain Colin Toll of Puckapunyal, Vic; Trooper John Meredith of Carlton, Melbourne, Vic.