"But although Australia was also involved in the Vietnam conflict, I can remember my dad telling us that if we were in Australia, we wouldn't be drafted until we were 20"
- Mel Gibson
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This quote by Mel Gibson speaks to the differences in between the Vietnam War and the Australian experience of it. Gibson's dad was informing him and his brother or sisters that if they were in Australia, they would not be drafted until they were 20. This recommends that the Australian government had a different method to the war than the United States, which had a draft system that permitted the conscription of 18-year-olds. This quote likewise speaks to the reality that Australia was involved in the Vietnam dispute, however to a lesser level than the United States. It is most likely that the Australian government was more mindful in its method to the war, and wanted to ensure that its citizens were not prepared up until they were of a particular age. This quote is a pointer of the various methods which nations approach war, and the value of comprehending the context of a dispute prior to making choices about it.
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