Down From the Mountain
The Path of a Baby Boomer
by
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This book traces the path of a young man born immediately after the Second Work War and classified throughout the world as a Baby Boomer. Brian was a borderline failure at school but worshipped the outdoors and in particular his close mates - the attributes served him well when he was unexpectedly drafted into a two year National Service Scheme created to meet the demands of the Vietnam war. Brian served a thirteen month tour of Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Commander with an Australian Infantry Battalion and spent forty weeks of his tour in the field - his life was threatened on many occasions but he came out of Vietnam with a greater understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses and a full understanding of the Australian psyche - the friends he made in Vietnam remain his friends to day. Brian also was able to take his family on postings to Darwin, Hong Kong and Brunei which strengthened his children's knowledge of a much bigger world and gave them an insight into the riches we share in Australia. Brian used his military knowledge and background to help him raise funds for his local surf club and restore the presence and dignity of a local RSL - a tough life but not an unhappy one
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About the Book
The book was written to record the history of Brian's father and his uncles. They all joined the Second World War together and Brian thought that their service should not go unrecorded - it was intended to be a short history but led itself into Brian's life when he unexpectedly found himself drafted into an Army that he had no interest in joining - the Army however provided a dimension for Brian that he had never visualized and provided the experiences and friendships that can only be achieved through hardship and common deprivation. These experiences were thought worthy of being included in the book for the purpose of providing a more complete history of Brian's family with particular emphasis on the way he viewed a thirteen month tour of Vietnam and how it affected him. The path Brian took was the same as many who were born during post war years hence the term Baby Boomers.
About the Author
The author was a born when his parents owned a banana plantation on the Eastern side of Mount Warning - hence the name of the book. Brian was born in 1945 and was schooled in Murwillumbah NSW Australia - he did well in his early schooling but was shy and lacked concentration - he enjoyed all things outdoor. Brian left school 3 days before his 15th birthday with the aim of becoming a carpenter - recession prevented this and he ended up working for Australia Post until called up in the National Service Ballot - this changed his life and provided a future form him and his family for the next 22 years - it was during this time that the more adventurous part of his life evolved. Brian has a wife of 53 years, two daughters and four grandchildren and lives on the southern part of the Australian Gold Coast