Recollections from former Vietnamese Peoples Army (VPA - or colloquially known as VC) officers and soldiers, thorough research and a concentrated effort between the Australian and Vietnamese governments resulted in the discovery of the remains of the last Australian soldier missing in action in Vietnam.

Pte David Fisher, 3 Squadron SASR, fell from a rope beneath a helicopter during a hot extraction in 1969 in Vietnam after his patrol had been in almost continuous contact with the opposing forces for two days.

Since November 2007 an Australian Government Investigation team, centred on Army History Unit (AHU) has spent countless hours poring over thousands of pages of documents and conducting interviews in a relentless search for the missing soldier.

The team compiled information on every detail relating to Pte Fisher's actions the day he went missing. It determined the precise route flown by the extraction helicopter and the exact gear and equipment he was carrying, which was all American issue with the exception of an Australian water bladder and SLR.

The team leader, Mr Brian Manns said the AHU investigator canvassed support within the Vietnamese veteran community in Australia and within the former VPA veteran community in Vietnam. Stories were published in community newspapers in Australia and leaflets were distributed in Vietnam which even included pictures of an SLR.

"With four different Australian Vietnamese families coming forward we were able to locate a number of former VC burial sites," the team investigator Maj Thurgar said.

"One of them had told me he and one other soldier buried what they thought was an American soldier."

The informant thought the soldier was an American because of the military fatigues, but when shown photographs of different weapons he immediately recognised an SLR similar to the one carried by PTE Fisher.

Interviews in Vietnam with high ranking members of specific VPA units verified the information given by the informant in Australia. The team determined a possible location where a soldier could be buried in a shell hole made by US heavy artillery.

Despite an extensive search carried out by the Australians in 1969, Pte Fisher was not found. The team investigator said the area where the soldier's remains were found was not searched because of the deployment of harassment and interdiction fire by US heavy artillery onto a suspected VC main supply route in the area and had ordered all the Australian forces to clear the area.

The investigation switched from a search to a recovery operation. This involved 17 Vietnamese labourers, two Vietnamese People's Army engineers who operated metal detectors, members of the Vietnamese Government Central Missing in Action (MIA) team, a Provincial MIA team and members of the Public Security Branch who protected the site.

In addition to the team leader and team investigator, other Australian personnel included archaeologist Tony Lowe, forensic anthropologist Squadron Leader Dr Denise Donlon and Army History Unit member WO2 Stan Albert.

Schonstedt and Minelab metal detectors were used by the VPA engineers during the recovery operation, which located among other items, an identity disc. Fragments of a water bladder, the type issued to Australian SASR soldiers, was also found at the site. On completion of the recovery operation a formal Australian forensic identification was conducted. This was followed in Hanoi by an independent Vietnamese forensic examination which was chaired by Professor Toan from the Vietnamese Forensic Institute. Identification of the remains was assigned to David Fisher.

The Vietnamese officials and workers on the recovery site were convinced it was Pte Fisher when the remains were first discovered.

"They held a small Buddhist ceremony where they blessed the ground and blessed the spirit of David Fisher to return safely to his loved ones," the team investigator said.

"It was a very sombre moment, everyone was incredibly respectful. The remains were treated with great dignity. The Vietnamese workers were absolutely excellent."

The repatriation of Pte Fisher took place with a ramp ceremony in Hanoi on October 9 and a ramp ceremony for the arrival home on 10 October 2008 at RAAF Richmond.

"His family has been grieving ever since 1969 and they never gave up hope. When you are close to the family you see their hurt all the time," Maj Thurgar said. "I think the final chapter has come now that David has returned home."