Vietnam veterans reflect and remember

BALLARAT’S place in the Vietnam War was looked back on over the weekend with a service taking place on Sunday.

About 30 veterans marched down Sturt Street to commemorate the event at the Southeast Asian Memorial at the corner of Dawson Street.

Vietnam Veterans Association Ballarat Sub-Branch secretary Gordon Hunt said it’s important to remember the conflict which took place between 1962 and 1972.

“It holds significance just by the mere fact the war’s been over for 52 years,” he said.

“The trouble with the Vietnam War is it has the potential to go like the Korean War which has largely gone unnoticed by Australians.

“[The Vietnam War] was quite significant here because a number of our members were national servicemen who were called up in Ballarat when conscription was enforced.”

The 8/7 Battalion Royal Victoria Regiment held a catafalque party during the event while Major Robert Powell, representing the group’s commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Derek Sonogan, served as guest speaker.

Other dignitaries included acting superintendent of Victoria Police western command police Jason Templar, Ballarat Police veteran liaison officer Luke McGregor, and Legacy Ballarat’s Bill Bahr.

A wreath laying also took place, and Mr Hunt estimated about 50 veterans overall attended the event.

While Vietnam Veterans Day is traditionally acknowledged on 18 August, Mr Hunt said the earlier event was to allow for more people to attend the unveiling of an important memorial on that day.

“We chose to hold it early because there’s an event at Lal Lal hosted by the local Landcare group, who’ve placed an extension on their Anzac Memorial Park, and it’s a Vietnam War Garden,” he said.

“To allow that to happen on the official day, we thought was significant. It’s the first new memorial for Vietnam veterans since about 2006, almost 20 years ago.”