Vietnam veteran Ted Davies from Narromine has detailed his experiences in the army as a young man during the Vietnam War in his memoir 'Memories of a Nasho'.

Nasho is slang for National Serviceman. 

"I decided to write it because as you get older your memory slips a bit," Mr Davies said. 

At 20 years old in 1968 while working as an apprentice farmer north of Warren, he lodged his National Service registration papers.

He served as an infantry combat soldier in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 with the 9th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. 

His first stop after joining the army took him to Kapooka base near Wagga Wagga where his head was shaved upon arrival. "My mother told me that if I had a good haircut before I went into camp, I would be ok, however that was not be," Mr Davies recalled. 

"The army barbers had great delight in giving us all 'number one' haircuts."

"In my very first official army photograph, there I am, looking like a criminal holding up a large envelope with a number that I have indelibly etched on my brain, my army number which I will take to the grave." 

At Kapooka, the recruits were taught about army traditions, such as unclipping the brass buckle on their black webbing belt whenever they passed a photo of the Queen. 

The tradition stems from when soldiers carried swords that they could use to threaten the King or Queen.

"My strongest memories are of physical fitness, army regulations, order of rank recognition, and drill, drill, and more drill.

People from all walks of life were in the army. 

"At the army base in 1968, we had hippies, mop tops, rockabillies surfers and the sergeant had 12 weeks to make us into basic soldiers.

"He had to be part mother, part instructor, and part mongrel."

Mr Davies has written articles about his positive and negative experiences in the army.

 Some of the memories of war will haunt him forever, Mr Davies said. 

"They follow us along through our lives," he said.

"The upside is the army was teaching us organisational, leadership, management, and strategic skills. These upsides led to me being a leader in many other fields."

Mr Davies served as a Returned and Services League (RSL) secretary for 50 years after first joining on ANZAC Day in 1970. 

"They realised they needed a young person and there I was."

The full eight parts of Memories of a Nasho will be published in the National Peacekeeper and Peacemaker Association magazine in December. 

 Narromine RSL sub-branch members with Ted Davies (second from right) on Vietnam Veterans Day in Narromine in 2022. PHOTO: David Taylor