by Nicholas Duck
In the stories shared about wars and the people involved in them, the focus can understandably be entirely on those in the trenches, literal or not, fighting on the frontlines.

So much so that it can be easy to forget about the people working hard behind the scenes and the roles they play. Veteran Ivan Standen was one of those people.
Ivan grew up in Swan Hill, the son and grandson of two veterans.
After finishing school he worked at the Commonwealth Bank, first close to home and later at the Canberra branch.
It was there that he was conscripted for national service - something his father didn't comment much on.
"I don't recall any great reaction because my father was in World War II and my great grandfather was in the first war. It was more an acceptance - it's compulsory, I can't do anything about it. But I had no idea what to expect," Ivan said.
Talking about their family's history with war wasn't a topic of discussion in the Standen household.
While his Victorian counterparts headed to Puckapunyal for their basic training, living in Canberra Ivan was sent to Kapooka.
He admitted the physical aspect of the training took its toll, though as someone who was naturally detail-oriented the finer points of making his bed and keeping his clothes neat and tidy wasn't an issue.
"I tend to have a bit of an attention to detail and neatness so that didn't worry me. Just that it was bloody cold in Wagga."
When asked which corps he'd like to join and not knowing much about any of them, he initially said the infantry. It wasn't until he was informed how much better a pay scale those who went into ordnance received that it became "a bit of a no-brainer."
The Ordnance Corps is the logistical side of the Australian Army, focusing on issues with supply and administration.
Coming from a bank it wasn't too far a leap for Ivan, who spent 10 weeks training in Bonegilla to learn the ins and outs.
"Ordnance is really the supply part of the army. All the supplies come through ordnance," he said.
At his initial posting at Bandiana, Ivan saw a notice asking people to volunteer to go to Vietnam. Figuring it was only a matter of time before the option became a requirement, he took the chance and signed up.
Ivan, like many Australians heading to the war-torn country, didn't have a great idea of what the conflict actually involved.
"I didn't know, it was all an unknown. I never took any notice of it before and I don't recall taking any notice of it even after I joined the army," he said.
He was required to complete jungle training before he could leave - a requirement for anyone going to Vietnam, no matter what part of it.
In three weeks of "full on" drills, the trainees only got one day off where they headed to the Gold Coast for some R and R.
"There were a few sore heads the next day when we were doing the training," Ivan recalled with a smile.
Having never left the country before, he was first sent to Vung Tao, auditing supplies as he counted them in a warehouse and compared them to a ledger.
Living conditions were a bit different - most of the quarters were communal, toilets being a bench with six holes in it.
Despite being a port city and a picturesque getaway these days, barbed wire and armoured vehicles abound showed the far reaches of the war.
Ivan was transferred to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) after just three months, where he would help prepare and deliver various signals to be sent out in a more typical sit-down office job.
It meant he got to move into a hotel room, a noticeable upgrade. "It was okay, when I got there conditions were completely different...no more six-hole dunnies," he said.
Travelling between the hotel and the building in which they worked was dangerous for those in ordnance. The Viet Cong were reportedly in the city at all times to some degree, meaning the Australians were loaded into a truck in the morning with weapons fully loaded, taking a different route each time.
Ivan thrived in his role, even becoming a temporary colonel and having access to some confidential information in his signals.
"I can remember the conflict in the Long Hais where 8RAR were and those signals were coming in about wounded and so forth," he said.
He was still very keen for the end of his service, however, to the point where he and his friends were counting down the days. Staying in the army and becoming a permanent colonel was on the table, though he didn't give it much consideration.
"I didn't think about it too much, it was a foregone conclusion."
Returning to Sydney and being dropped off at midnight, Ivan admitted he felt "abandoned" after his service.
He managed to get back into working at a bank, but said "it was hard to settle down, that's for sure. It was hard to go back to a bank and do mundane things."
He also didn't disclose his service to many people, citing a fear of the response he would get given public perception of the war had soured.
Ivan was forced to retire at age 52 following battles with depression and anxiety but soon found a new purpose - training veteran advocates, teaching them to navigate the systems involved with making claims.
He also worked in the West Gippsland Veterans Centre, acting as its secretary for two decades.
"It was quite satisfying...it was a really good thing to do. I've probably helped a lot of people indirectly by training advocates," he said.
"I got to be working with really good people with their heart in the right place and trying to really help veterans. That was a good feeling."
Reflecting on his time in Vietnam, Ivan is blunt about his thoughts.
"It's a lifechanging experience, there's no doubt about it. My life changed for sure having done those two years and one year in Vietnam."
"I got some good mates out of it. If I got a choice, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't go."