Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

I met Tony Parrello AATTV, in September 1968 just after his arrival in Vietnam.

Tony was very excited about the upcoming birth of his second child and
asked me to keep an eye open for any news about the birth and to ensure
the message got to him pronto.

I informed my other mates to also keep an eye open. Tony fronted a couple of times more
until the birth of Anthony. He was over the moon and then I did not seen him again. I moved to Saigon on the day before the TET Offensive started on the night of 31st January 1968. I was informed from Nui Dat that Tony had been killed in action in Baria on the first day of the offensive, 1st February 1968. Of course, this was a shock for me and I have carried our brief meetings with me for many a year.

I served with AATTV in 1971. Eventually I made contact with Anthony Parrello on the AATTV Facebook page and was finally able to tell of my contact I had with Tony in Vietnam. This gave me closure in finding two sons that have ensured that the memory of their dad will not be forgotten and is now a part of our military history. Persevere.

Antonino Parrello, known as Nino, immigrated to Australia from Italy with his family when he was 16 years old.

He grew up in Trieste, Italy and immigrated with his parents Elsa and Giuseppe, brother Romano and Sister Luisa in 1954. They arrived in Australia on 12th April board the ship the Castel Verde. They came looking for a better life.

He was a good student and attended a high school in Trieste prior to coming to Australia and got good grades in all subjects.

The family settled in Geelong where Nino worked for two years at the Ford Motor Company with his brother Romano and a further year at Harvester.

In 1958 he joined the Army and in 1959 he was sent to Malaya for 2 years, where he worked as a munitions specialist and was wounded after a mishap with a landmine.

He loved swimming and was an impressive diver. He excelled in dancing all the Latin American dance styles and he loved playing soccer.

He loved life. He was a very likable man, was a lot of fun to be around and was very good natured. He was always the life of the party.

He met his wife, Polyxene Mary Diamond in 1962. They fell deeply in love and were married soon after in April of 1965.

Christopher, their first son was born in March of 1966. Anthony, their second was born in September of 1967.

Vietnam 1967 - 68:

Nino left for Vietnam on 1 September of 1967. Anthony was born about 2 weeks later on 19th September of 1967.

Xene and Nino wrote each other often, several times a week and missed one another terribly.

Christmas of 1967 came and went, and life was tough for Xene who was struggling to raise their young boys with the help of her mother and father.

Dad was due to return home for the Christmas of 1967, but the army had one more assignment which was to keep him away for a few extra weeks. He had not yet seen his newest son Anthony.

He was due for 6 weeks of Rec leave, which was due to commence on Thursday 2nd February. It was January and the time was drawing closer when he was due to return home to his family.

He was stationed at Phuc Tuy Province in South Vietnam not far from Saigon. He was a member of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) and was attached to the Province Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) under the command of an American. The PRU were mercenaries made up of mostly Vietnamese and Nungs (not sure what “Nungs” are) employed by the Americans.

Dad, was tragically killed on 1 February at approx 2.30pm whilst attempting to rescue an American soldier.

 
The Battle:

Dad was killed in a two day battle in the Phuoc Tuy Province during of the TET Offensive.
The battle was described in more detail, in a letter written to Xene by an American Mr Robert Hede some months after Nino’s death. In the letter, Mr Hede describes part of the battle at Phuoc Tuy Province, as well as the afternoon and evening leading up to the battle.

After fighting for about 9 1/2 hours, at approximately 1430 hrs, dad was tragically killed two days before he was due to return home for 6 weeks Rec leave.

The Letter:

Dear Mrs Parrello,

I’m sorry I haven’t answered your letters of 4 April before now, however I have been on home leave in the United States, and only recently received your letters. I have not written you before now, because, frankly I was afraid that it might hurt you needlessly. In talking to Clarrie Rule we decided I should wait until the shock had worn off a bit. I was aware that Clarrie planned to see you on his return and I’m glad he asked you to write to me.

I find it rather hard to write about Tony, mostly because he and I had grown quite close during the few short weeks that we worked together. I guess the finest compliment I could pay to Tony is that he was quite a man and a fabulous soldier.
Now as for the events of the 31st January and the 1st of February. I think I would like to go back just a little bit more. On the evening of the 30 January, Tony and I pitched a party for some of our close friends. We found out that everyone liked Italian food and we started cooking about noon. We cooked spaghetti sauce all afternoon. We tried to buy bread on the local market but found that none was available – we felt that without garlic bread that our meal wouldn’t be near as good. I found some bread mix and it was then that we found out that Tony used to be a baker. He mixed bread dough and baked some of the best garlic bread I’ve ever eaten. Anyway, that evening, Major DC Smith, Harry Ephgrave, Mr B U Johnson and some of Tony’s Australian buddies and myself sat down to one of the finest meals I’ve ever had. We had spaghetti and a meat sauce, garlic bread, salad and a good red wine. It was probably one of the best meals that had ever been served in Phuoc Tuy Province. Everyone went away completely full and it was a grand success.

On 31st January we had let most of the staff off and didn’t really do very much, we laid around and wrote letters and talked. You know mail was very important to both Tony and myself. About 1730 hours in the afternoon, Tony and I decided to drive up to Sector and see if we had received any mail. I can’t remember whether there was any or not. Anyway, during the trip up and back we noticed that the people were closing up their shops, some were loading up on buses and motor bikes and moving towards Vung Tau. This looked bad to Tony and I so we decided to come home and get everything ready for any kind of an attack.

When we returned, we got our four guards together, told them what we expected and proceeded to uncrate grenades and ammunition. We worked on our defences until almost 11 o’clock that night. Ordinarily I have about 12 guards around the house, but because of TET I only had four.

We took some grenades and sub machine guns across the street to Major Smith and warned him of what we expected. We called Mr B U Johnson and warned him also. He lived one block away.

Anyway, at about 11 o’clock we went to bed. We felt that we were as ready as we could get for any attack on our quarters.

At 0500 on the morning of 1 February, I woke up and turned on the radio, being concerned about the situation in Saigon. At about 0505 hours I heard a burst of automatic weapons fire from around Mr Johnsons house. I got up, grabbed a shotgun and went outside into the front yard, Tony had beaten me there. He was armed with a Swedish K 9mm sub machine gun. Our guard chief told us that there were many VC across the street around Major Smiths house.
We called to Major Smith and he answered that there were many VC in his yard. About that time two VC came out the front gate and fired a rocket at our house. Tony, the guard chief and myself shot the two, and that was the start of the battle.

We got to the radio and asked for assistance, this was about 0530. From then until about0845, Tony the guards and myself were fighting for our lives.
Tony was running around firing his Swedish K and just doing a wonderful job. We fired 24 magazines of 9mm ammunition a piece, not counting throwing over 35 grenades. We were scared, there’s no doubt about that, and we were very very dry.

Tony called to me once and said, “Bob cover me, I’m going after some beer.” I opened up and Tony ran into the house and came out with six beers and ran to our positions and we all enjoyed a good cold drink. All this time the VC were firing rockets and machine guns at us. Twenty minutes later Tony called again, told me it was my turn to go after some beers. He covered me as I ran back into the house for beer. This went on until finally the Australians came down to relieve us. We had taken seven rocket rounds into the house and thousands of rounds of small arms, but miraculously, no one had been hit. The Australians immediately attacked the VC in and around Major Smiths house, they took seven wounded, but were able to evacuate the three wounded Americans from the House. Then they were called away to fight in another part of town.

Just after they left we began to receive more small arms fire from the VC and our fight continued again.

Finally, at about 1430 in the afternoon, after many radio calls, The Task Force returned and had been directed to go to Mr Johnsons home to rescue him. Tony and I got aboard the first Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and we went the one block to Mr Johnsons house. One of the APCs stayed outside the compound to give cover, the other with Tony and myself inside went into Mr Johnsons compound. Mr Johnson was alright but one of his guards had been severely wounded. We decided to evacuate Mr Johnson to our house. We loaded him up on the APC and got his wounded guard in there too.

I was in the house and started out to join them when a sniper shot at me. I dropped the equipment I was carrying, killed the sniper and at the same time, the APC with Tony and Mr Johnson aboard left the compound to give support fire to the wounded Australians. I didn’t have time to get aboard.
I ran to the gate to assist the wounded through the gate and saw another rocket come in and hit the APC that Tony and Mr Johnson were in.

Tony was standing up in the back of the APC with Mr Johnson at this time, firing his sub machine gun at the VC. The rocket killed Mr Johnson immediately. I ran to the APC to check on Tony. He was unconscious and bleeding very severely. He died while I was there.

We returned to the compound and fought the VC until about 1830 when under cover of helicopter gunships, we were able to evacuate.

Mrs Parrello, it is very difficult for me to tell you what a wonderful soldier your husband was. His heroic actions this entire day were something his sons should be extremely proud of as they grow older. He was one of the finest men I’ve ever known.

There is little doubt in my mind that his actions saved the lives of a lot of Americans and Australians.

Because of all of this, I have recommended him for the US Silver Star, our country’s 3rd highest medal and I’m certain he will receive it.

I realize that this citation is of little consequence now, but later when his sons are able to understand, I’m sure it will make them very proud of their dad.

I’m afraid I’ve rambled on in this letter but I was sure you would want the details. Feel free to write anytime, I would be glad to hear from you and I’m sure I would answer your letters a lot faster than I have this one. If perchance I am ever fortunate enough to come to Australia, Ill stop in to see you and if ever you should come to the United States please be sure to visit us.

Well, I’ll sign off now. If there are any questions you have that I haven’t answered, don’t hesitate to write.

Sincerely

Robert W Hede

Back in Sydney Australia, Xene, his wife, received a letter from Nino on the morning of the 3 February, two days after his death, in which he wrote “...Only a few more days and I will be home...”

There was a military funeral at Maroubra Junction, with a procession of many soldiers.

Many people mourned him when he died and many people, friends and family came to pay their respects.

His loss was felt deeply among his family, especially his mother Elsa, father Guiseppe, brother Romano and sister Luisa. But mostly his beloved wife Xene, and his two boys Christopher and Anthony who were too young to know.

His death was reported in the Newspapers back home. I remember as a young child, mum being interviewed in our small flat at Maroubra by newspaper reporters and photographers.