Gibson's father was awarded US$145,000 in a work-related-injury lawsuit against the New York Central Railroad on February 14, 1968, and soon afterwards relocated his family to West Pymble, Sydney, Australia.[14] Mel was twelve years old at the time. The move to his grandmother's native Australia was for economic reasons, and his father's expectation that the Australian Defence Forces would reject his eldest son for the draft during the Vietnam War.
He never served...
True. It was based on the then Lt Colonel of the seventh airborn Calvary.The first time "Hughies" were used in the conflict.The battle was in 1964.