Harness racing bookmaker and owner Bill Hutchison has shared his Vientam War story of conscription, service, battle and the aftermath in a special Anzac Day story.
Chatting with RSN 927 racing editor Matt Stewart, the wide-ranging story of trots racing and war service included Hutchison’s first thought when his number come up at conscription: “I don’t want to get killed”.
“I came from a family who had scene theatres of war, my father in particular who was damaged a bit, and my grandfather on my mum’s side.”
Hutchison shared his experience in the Battle of Suoi Chau Pha, when six of his mates lost their lives.
“That was my baptism of fire,” he said. “Anticipation is worse than the actual thing. When it’s actually happening, and there’s bullets flying around you, it’s organised chaos. It was frightening, but I don’t remember being frightened. It was more trying to get a bloke back (on the stretcher) that was disabled.”
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