[theold]

Haunted by memories of a 1968 battle in southern Vietnam, two Australian veterans have spent the past two decades searching for the mass grave of 42 Vietnamese soldiers buried in a bomb crater.

Back then, the 20-year-old man simply thought he was on his way to complete a two-year military service and then return home. Just like Cleaver, Bryant initially thought going to Vietnam was simply to fulfill his military duty.

At 22 in 1968, Bryant was a photography enthusiast and always carried a camera to capture beautiful moments of life.

Simultaneously, the 7th Division, one of the main army units in the southern battlefield of the Vietnamese People's Army, received orders from the Southern Command to attack the base.

The ensuing battles caused significant losses on both sides.

Cleaver was shocked to witness over 40 bodies of North Vietnamese soldiers being bulldozed into bomb craters, forming mass graves.

The horrific experiences of the battle led him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

For over 30 years after his discharge, Cleaver tried to conceal his condition, taking various types of medication, yet achieved no improvement.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/austra...76120.html