Rex served in Vietnam 1969 with 1 Field Sqn as an engineer clearing mines.

He remembers the first night arriving in the country listening to artillery firing and thinking that the base was under attack only to be told “no, the guns just fire like that every night.”

Rex also recalls how the Aussie soldiers from the other states didn’t really care where you came from, but the Tasmanians would often seek each other out and look after one another.

His tour came to an early end when the APC he was traveling in struck an anti-tank mine.

After returning to Tasmania post-Vietnam, Rex enlisted in the Army reserve and worked as a cook. He remembers his last big exercise on K95 in north Queensland.

Rex is now retired and living south of Hobart.

Taking a camera to Vietnam, Rex never thought he would be documenting history. His collection of images and stories are one of the best we have seen.

A very special evening was had at the Launceston and Hobart 2021 events with the reunion of several Vietnam Veterans 52 years on who shared not only their images but their stories with us.

Spending time with our veterans to learn more about their experiences is what Point & Shoot is all about.