Vietnam Veterans’ Day
Vietnam Veterans’ Day honours the service and sacrifice of those who served in Australia’s longest conflict of the 20th century.
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For Australia, the Vietnam War began in 1962 when 30 members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) arrived in South Vietnam to provide military training to local units. Over 10 years, Australian forces would fight in fierce battles, most notably the Battle of Long Tan in 1966, the Battles of Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral in 1967 and the Battle of Binh Ba in 1969.
While Australia’s participation in the war was formally declared over in January 1973, elements of the RAAF remained until 1975 assisting with evacuation operations.
By the end of the war some 60,000 personnel from the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) had served. Tragically, 521 Australians died, and some 3,000 were wounded. We remember them on August 18.
Many of those who returned from the war did so with physical and emotional scars, which remained long after the war and the effects of which often extended to their loved ones. It was our Vietnam veterans who recognised the need for additional support, establishing a dedicated counselling service that provides specialised mental health and support services to all veterans and their families.
This was known as the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service, but today known as the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service. We owe you our thanks for this vital service that continues to support veterans and their families, and which will be an enduring legacy of our Vietnam veterans. Thank you for your service.
Lest we forget.
Darren Chester, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
(See What’s On for details of the August 18 Eurobodalla service.)
Sad to lose largest sculptures
Years ago the coastal suburb of Sydney, Bondi, held a sculpture show on its cliffs overlooking the sea.
Today it is an iconic event, where people come from all over the world to see sculpture works of Australian and International artists.
The town now has a huge tourist revenue when this event occurs.
Huge crowds of people eat, drink, stay and buy souvenirs.
Sculpture on Clyde could have been such an event.
However, for some obscure reason, the concept has been altered.
Batemans Bay risks losing tourist revenue, as the open air location to exhibit the largest sculptures is not in the Eurobodalla Shire.
It is a regret that tourist dollars will go elsewhere.
Last year it was such a success, people came from everywhere.
It is a loss; so sad on many levels.
Primi Thompson
Catalina
Editor’s note: Sculpture on Clyde opens in Batemans Bay on Friday, August 24, and includes a sculpture walk through the CBD. Shopfronts, including the Bay Post, will exhibit students’ sculptures. An indoor show can be seen at 5 Clyde St, Batemans Bay, from August 25 to September 2, from 10am to 4pm. Larger sculptures can be seen at Willinga Park, Bawley Point. Visit sculptureonclyde.com.au for details.