Peter Haran.

Journalist, Author and Vietnam Veteran and Beyond Long Tan Escort.

Peter Haran is an Army Vietnam Veteran, (May 1967 to June 1968 and Feb 1971 to Oct 1971), journalist and author who epitomises the iconic John Schumann song I was Only Nineteen.

Peter experienced the Vietnam War at 19 as one of the first tracking dog handlers to work in a combat role with the Australian forces in 1967. After his 12-month tour of duty he returned to Australia as a tracking dog instructor and was posted back to Vietnam in 1971 for a second tour of duty.

On leaving the services in 1972 he embarked on a career in journalism and was for 25 years a crime reporter and feature writer with Adelaide’s Sunday Mail. He was awarded the inaugural Dame Roma Mitchell Award For Excellence In Crime Reporting in 1995. Between 2000 and 2005 he wrote and co-wrote four books on the Vietnam War, basing them all on his experiences during the two years as a combatant.

His first book “Trackers: The Untold Story Of The Dogs Of War” became a best-seller as did the other three books, “Crossfire: An Australian Reconnaissance Team In Vietnam” (with Robert Kearney), “Flashback: Echoes From A Hard War” (with Robert Kearney), and in 2005 his last book, “Shockwave: An Australian Combat Helicopter Crew In Vietnam”.

During his post-war service life Peter became an active member of the Vietnam Veterans’ Federation and as a Federation education officer launched a program in state high schools.

Through the SA History Teachers Association he now regularly speaks to students studying Vietnam history. He also talks on a frequent basis to canine clubs and associations on the role that tracking dogs played in the Vietnam War and their role today.

He is a founding member of the Australian Army Trackers And War Dogs Association.

After 40 years Peter returned to Vietnam with a study team involved in the construction of schools and orphanages in southern Vietnam. He now is a vital part of Beyond Long Tan.