Because the Vietnam war was such a contentious conflict, not considered "our war" by many Australians, it was not one that the service men felt much thanks for from the community when they returned; add to that an ongoing battle to be taken seriously when it came to the development of ailments due to exposure to chemicals such as Agent Orange, it was a long time before Australians and consequently the Australian Government showed any true respect for many of the returned veterans. Sadly it took a long time before monuments such as this one were put in place. That's why it seems so new; because it is new. It is not yet ten years old, even though the conflict was some forty to fifty years ago.
But now it is here, so lest we forget those men and women who served. read more