The Northern Territory news Thu 21 Apr 2011
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2011-04-21
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/232267
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/664628
www.ntnews.com.au Thursday, April 21, 2011. NT NEWS. 21 P U B : NTNE-WS-DA-TE:21-AGE:721LO-R: C-M Y-K Terry Brooks TERRY Brooks, who now lives in Queensland but was a Territory policeman from 1970-98, was a sonar aircrewman with Wessex helicopters in the Navy when he and 46 other Aussies were volunteered to go to Vietnam as part of a little-known unit called the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam. They were put through escape and survival training, flown to Vietnam and integrated into the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company. Terry was a doorgunner on Iroquois choppers during his 12-month deployment. He spent his 24th and 25th birthdays in Vietnam departing Sydney and arriving back in Sydney. The companys unofficial motto was: Get The Bloody Job Done. Terry calls Vietnam Funnyland and has written many poems about his adventures. All the American blokes were conscripts while we RAN blokes were in for nine or 12 years, he says. The Yanks couldnt believe that we would sign on for those periods and thus we were referred to as lifers. Terrys daughter Elly Mae lives at Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston. Clockwise from top left: Terry Brooks was given a troll by his mum as a good luck charm and took it everywhere with him in Vietnam. - Rainbow takeoff. - Terry Brooks ready for action. - Terry Brooks and comrade Tom using the facilities. - Troops boarding a gunship. - Home away from home for Terry Brooks in Vietnam.