Claude Malone served as a combat engineer in the Vietnam War. Based at Nui Dat, he worked with ordinance of all kinds including clearing landmines and defusing unexploded bombs and mortars. Claude explains the ongoing skin and related illness he has had since Vietnam, which he attributes to exposure to Agent Orange defoliant used by US forces in the conflict. He also talks about the mental scars of his service and the difficulty he had returning from war to civilian life, which he dealt with by drinking heavily at that stage of his life. Claude also discusses his experiences with racism in the army, and how in recent years he has become more involved in Anzac Day services, particularly in Cherbourg where he grew up, now that both Vietnam and Aboriginal veterans are better acknowledged and included in commemorations.

This interview took place on 8 July 2014 in Brisbane and was conducted by Dr Allison Cadzow with Craig Greene as part of the Australian Research Council-funded research project Serving our Country: a history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the defence of Australia.

The interview recording above is made available to be listened to here by permission of the interviewee(s), Claude Malone. The recording may not be copied, reproduced or communicated in whole or in part without the prior permission of the interviewee(s). Requests for permission for use of this material should be made to the Serving our Country research project: our contact details.

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