2023 marks 60 years since the arrival of the Australian Army Training team (AATTV) in South Vietnam (SVN) on the 3 August 1962 and 50 years since the withdrawal of combat troops in 1972.
The Australian Government intends to mark the occasion with a national Commemorative Service, televised by the ABC on the 18 August 2023 from the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial (AVFNM) in Canberra. Many Vietnam Veterans and the NOK of those KIA are too old or frail to travel to Canberra to attend this ceremony.
Therefore, the VVV will provide surviving Vietnam Veterans and the Australian people the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way right across the nation and overseas in recognizing the individual loss and to pay their respects to those who were Killed in Action (KIA) and to show solidarity with their loved ones for their loss.
We intend to hold a Service of Remembrance at every grave or Commemorative plaque site across the nation and overseas on the 3 August 2023. The first being a Dawn Service to be held at the AVFNM in Canberra. Other Services will be held at 1100 (local time across Australia and in Malaysia. The last Service will be held in Scotland, at Birkhill Cemetery where LCPL Robert Buchan is laid to rest with his Mum and Dad. Dusk Service
We are asking for VOLUNTEERS to co-ordinate each Commemorative Service. You can choose a grave to visit from our 523 KIA list or locate a grave/commemorative plaque on our VIETNAM VETERANS VIGIL MAP. Choose a specific service member listed within the 523 KIA. If you wish to Volunteer please read How You Can Help.
A suggested template for the prepared Service of Remembrance can be viewed or downloaded.
We request that every Grave visited be photographed by those in attendance. The photograph can then be uploaded by Logging in to this website OR going to the VWMA website.
This collated virtual Gallery of Remembrance will provide an enduring legacy of Remembrance for all Australians both now, and into the future, to reflect upon.
CAN WE HOLD THE SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE AT A DIFFERENT TIME
YES, you can perform the Act of Remembrance at any time on the 3 August 2023. You can visit the Grave on the way to work or on the way home from shopping.
Please remember to take a photo and send it in to us.
A Suggestion as how to Hold a Joint Service, where multiple Vietnam Veterans are Buried/Commemorated in the Same Cemetery
Have a person visit each grave/memorial plaque and lay a flower or Rosemary on each grave and say ‘G’Day’ to the Fallen serviceperson.
Take a photo of the grave with the flower laid upon it on their phone.
Return to a central point where a single communal service will be held.
At the start of the service have each person read out the Rank, Name and date of death of their soldier being remembered.
Keep the photo ‘open’ on their phone of during the communal service
Before the Ode or Last Post read out their names again,
Observe a period of silence.
At the end of the service have their names read out one last time and at the end say “we will remember you’.
Notes:
1. Please feel free to Include any other aspects into the service which is appropriate so as to ‘personalise’ your communal ceremony.
2. If there are no other persons present incorporate as many of the above suggestions as you can manage.
3. Remember, it is you ‘being there’ that is the highest mark of respect that you can bestow upon The Fallen and their Families.
If you would like advice in preparing the Service of Remembrance you wish to conduct, then contact our Padre for assistance. Padre Jim Cosgrove (Retd) can help you out.
Simple service Example.
Today marks 60 years since the arrival of soldiers in South Vietnam and 50 years since the withdrawal of these combat troops.
During these ten years 523 soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice by giving up their lives in a war zone in the service of their country.
Today all around Australia people are visiting the graves and memorials of each of the 523 Australian soldiers, and with a few words and a time of silence are remembering these young Australians who did not return home alive.
Today I (we) recall the pain, grief and sadness felt by the families, friends and loved ones of these young men who gave their all. I (we) also recall that their sacrifice is in the same Spirit as of those ANZAC greats whose sacrifice we remember every April 25th.
And so here today I (we) remember [number, rank name] who died on the …………………..(date)
Let us observe one minute’s silence.
(After one minute)
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
(we will remember them
Lest we forget
(Lest we forget)
[Number, rank, name] I (we) thank you for the service you gave your country.
I (we) thank you for your sacrifice.
I (we) thank you, and so many others like you, who at the behest of our nation’s leaders, have given your all in the service of our country, so that freedom and peace may be enjoyed by all.
Young man, a grateful Australia remembers you and thanks you.
If someone else has indicated ahead of you to visit a particular Grave, you can 'contact us' to be put in touch with them so that you can equally participate in the commemorative act on the day.
The RAR Association Memorial Walk manager in Brisbane has invited veterans and the public to join him in conducting a 'Walk of Remembrance' at the Memorial Walk in concert with the VVV.
As the RAR Memorial Walk is located on a military base, it is necessary to notify the Manager (Dave) in advance by email of your intention to attend, so that security clearance can be obtained.
Dave can be contacted on <manager@rarnationalmemorialwalk.org.au>.
Yes, the most important thing is for you to 'go' and say 'g'day'. if you want to just stand in silence and lay a sprig of wattle or rosemary, then that is perfectly understandable and appropriate. This is about remembering the 'individual'.
WATTLE is freely available in early August in most Australian towns. It is plentiful and free. Just a small sprigg of say Wattle and Rosemary is what many people are discussing that they will use.
Please be aware that some of the 523 KIA are commemorated in a number of locations.
Such as, Memorial Walks, Memorial Driveways, Walls of Remembrance, Clubs, Schools and in Churches.
So, do not be deterred if this situation arises for you.
It is the act of Remembrance that counts.
Time to Walk the Walk NOT talk the talk.
People have asked, if they can visit as a group, can they do so over a longer period of time on the 3 August 2023.
Yes they/you can. There are some groups who wish to Volunteer to visit all the Vietnam Veterans graves/commemorative plaques in their local cemetery. All they need to do is to nominate one person as the co-ordinator and then go to our website and in the 'I want to Volunteer' box put their details and ALL the names of the Vietnam Veterans graves they will visit.
It does not matter if you take 2-3 hours to visit all of them.
Click Here to View Service of Remembrance
A suggested template for the prepared Service of Remembrance.
A Word document can be downloaded here to make any adjustments you consider necessary to personalise the Service,