Ian McIlvain, Quentin Dalziell, Christine McIlvain, Ken McDonald, Jill McDonald and Mick Harrison in Canowindra’s Memorial Park.
The members of the Canowindra RSL Sub-Branch gathered on Sunday 14th August to lay a wreath to commemorate VP Day and Vietnam Veterans Day.
On the 15th August, Victory in the Pacific Day, Australians commemorate the end of WWII when Japan accepted the Allied Nations terms of surrender and Australia’s Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, announced that the war was over.
Nearly 1 million Australians served in the armed forces during WWII. We commemorate those who served, sadly some 40,000 Australians didn’t return home to their families after WWII.
Over 17,000 of them lost their lives while fighting in the war against Japan, some 8,000 of whom died in Japanese captivity.
On the 18th August, Australians commemorate Vietnam Veterans’ Day on the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966.
The arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in South Vietnam during July and August 1962 marked the start of Australia’s involvement in the war. By the time the war had come to an end, almost 60,000 Australians had served during a decade of conflict between 1962 and 1972. Tragically, 521 of them died and 3,000 were wounded.
On this day, we commemorate all the battles fought by Australians in Vietnam, from large-scale operations to platoon and section-level encounters. We remember the sailors of the Royal Australian Navy who supported land operations, and members of the Royal Australian Air Force who served in combat and transport roles. Lest We Forget.
By Christine McIlvain
President, Canowindra RSL Sub-Branch