A three-year plus campaign for Wollongong to officially acknowledge those who fought and sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the Vietnamese people, has been won.
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The Vietnam War Comradeship Monument was unveiled at MacCabe Park in Wollongong on Sunday.
The unveiling came more than three-years after Vietnamese Community in Wollongong president Teresa Tran approached Wollongong City Council to build a monument next to The Vietnam War Memorial at Flagstaff Hill.
The idea was for the two memorials to be next to each other because during the war, the Australian Army and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam fought together against the Communist of Vietnam.
Wollongong Heritage Advisory Committee did not support this idea but suggested other sites.
‘’We have lobbied endlessly together with the support of the Vietnam Veterans Association/ Illawarra Sub-Branch headed by its president, Ian Birch, to see this monument come to fruition,’’ Ms Tran said.
‘’Now, at long last, we may finally have our own memorial shrine, here in the beautiful city of Wollongong, to pay tribute to those who had fallen during the war, and remember those who are still suffering in the war’s aftermath.
‘’Every year, we will have a special ceremony to pay respect to the fallen soldiers. It will create a peaceful and healing place for our community.
‘’Furthermore, it will encourage people to take better care of the areas surrounding the monument due to its sacred importance.’’
John Flood OAM from Musewellbrook, himself a Vietnam veteran, kindly donated the granite stone to be built for the Vietnam Comradeship Monument.
Almost half of the $55,000 needed to construct the monument was raised at the 40th anniversary Vietnamese Settlement Dinner in Wollongong last November. The balance is from a recent dinner.
