Lachlan Irvine is a doctoral student at the Australian National University, and is completing a PhD. thesis entitled An Australian Odyssey: The Long Journey Home for Vietnam Veterans.

He is a former National Secretary of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia, and has held many other positions in the Australian veteran community. He is currently a pensions officer with the Vietnam Veterans Federation of Australia. He served as an infantry soldier with the 3^rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) in Vietnam in 1967-68.

Lachlan Irvine wishes to thank the New Zealand government for the opportunity to provide a submission to its inquiry into the health effects of Agent Orange and other defoliant chemicals on New Zealanders. His infantry battalion worked as a team with 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery in Vietnam, and respected them as professional soldiers. He offers this submission in the spirit of the ANZAC alliance.