They shared a tent for more than five months at the Vung Tau base in South Vietnam and formed a bond that almost disappeared until rekindled during the Anzac Day weekend.

Both aged 70 and still bearing emotional scars, they relished their chance to share memories of their time fighting a distant war and their subsequent battles in returning to civilian life.

Their recollections included raucous social outings to bars and villages in an era when heavy alcohol consumption by Aussie troops helped them cope with the constant dangers and separation from home.

“We were part of a small unit and were able to sneak out more often than others because I had access to leave passes,” Mr Barrett said.

“Usually we went into town where there were steam rooms and other interesting places.

“Weapons were carried everywhere and there were lots of fights, but we stayed out of trouble and enjoyed ourselves.

“Every time you drove out of the base gate you didn’t know what you’d encounter.

“Anything could happen — the Viet Cong were all around.”

They recalled occasions when Mr Barrett, whose main role was in administration, was shotgun rider for Mr Miles who was a transport driver ferrying civilian workers between their homes and the base.

“When you’re out driving down village roads with the enemy around, it would have been easy to have been a casualty,” Mr Miles said.

“It’s been great catching up with Terry again — we talked about incidents I had forgotten.”

Mr Barrett was a regular army private doing his stint in Vietnam when Mr Miles arrived in November 1966 as a conscript. 

They remained in the same unit until Mr Barrett returned to Australia in April 1967 where he remained a full-time soldier until 1971 and another eight years as a reservist before becoming a full-time accountant around Perth.

Mr Miles was discharged the morning after he arrived back in Australia from Vietnam and then returned to his home town of Bairnsdale for a short time before trying a fresh start before moving to Warrnambool.

The reunion was triggered last year when Mr Barrett attended an Anzac Day function in Mildura and sought to trace his old mate.

This led to contact via email and telephone before the visit to Warrnambool last Thursday.

Both said former soldiers shared a common bond in grappling  with emotional issues caused by their war service. Mr Miles said he experienced alienation from mainstream society and for years found it difficult to settle down.

It was only when he returned to Vietnam nine years ago with his son did Mr Miles find release from the inner demons.

“It was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders — I was a completely different person,” he said.

Now he’s helping lead the RSL to devote more resources into assisting service personnel returning from conflicts so they don’t have to feel alienated.

Mr Barrett says he often has trouble with one-on-one communication and with crowds. “I could cope while in the forces, but after I retired I hit the wall,”  he said.

“I was very angry and backed off from everything. A lot of people coming out of the services need help.” 

pcollins@fairfaxmedia.com.au