Paul Murray

Private Paul Murray (Service No. 2791679), a Yuin man, served with the Australian Army’s 1st Australian Field Hospital during the Vietnam War. His service record with the Australian War Memorial confirms his posting to the field hospital unit.

Murray would have arrived in Vũng Tàu by ship and entered the wards of the field hospital. He would have assisted in treating wounded soldiers: shock cases, gun-shots, tropical infections and trauma from jungle patrols. He was part of the medical team that cared for those evacuated from the front lines. While we don’t have a detailed diary of his war experience, his unit’s history reveals that he would have been involved in handling trauma, overseeing patients being airlifted home and supporting medical logistics. Paul was also known as an ambulance driver and stretcher bearer in the war.

As an Aboriginal serviceman Murray served in a time when Aboriginal people still lacked full citizenship rights back home. Participation in the war effort often carried the paradox of fighting for a country that did not yet fully recognise his rights. Returning soldiers like Murray had to navigate the dissonance of service and marginalisation.

Though little of his post-war life is widely published, Private Paul Murray’s name in the national collection stands as recognition of his contribution. His story is part of the broader narrative of Aboriginal Australians who served in Vietnam, and it reminds us of the duty, identity and resilience they carried.