Exhibition to commemorate Vietnam sacrifice

THE Cooroy and Pomona Sub-branch have created a special commemorative exhibition to help people learn of the sacrifice and suffering of soldiers who served in the Vietnam War.
A commemorative exhibition will be held on Maple Street, Cooroy, between the post office and community hall, from Thursday 11 August to 21 August from 10am to 4pm daily.
Cooroy and Pomona RSL Sub-branch president Ian Whisker said he hoped the commemorative exhibition would help people better understand the impact of the Vietnam War on soldiers and their families.
“Over 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War, 521 died while on service and more than 3000 were physically wounded, but we have no idea how many were mentally wounded by what they experienced,” he said.
‘We don’t know how many continue to suffer mental stress from their service in Vietnam. Many marriages and relationships were damaged or ruined because of the war and many Vietnam veteran’s children are still suffering from what they saw and felt as a result of the stress in the family from their father’s emotional problems.”
Mr Whisker said the commemorative exhibition would show people what Vietnam veterans did in Vietnam and help them to understand the emotional pressure they were under when they returned.
“Some veterans were greeted by a thankful public and a parade, but many were just ‘slipped in the back door’; unloaded on a quiet side of the airport; or unloaded in Brisbane and then sent by train to Melbourne to avoid a demonstration,” he said.
“Some were spat on or had red paint thrown on them. Some were not considered by veteran organisations as having been in a ‘real war’. Vietnam veterans didn’t get their welcome home parade until 15 years after the last Australian had come home.
“Some veterans have shut themselves off from society, and we hope that as more people get to understand the war and the veterans, friends and family may be able to get those veterans to come back into society and to tell their story.”
Mr Whisker said for Vietnam veterans a simple gesture like a hand shake and a “thanks for what you did” can go a long way to help heal wounds, but locals can start to learn more about the war at the commemorative exhibition.
The exhibition will feature war memorabilia including guns and stories from the war. Everyone is welcome to visit the exhibition that will be on Maple Street, Cooroy, between the post office and Cooroy Memorial Hall, from Thursday 11 August to Sunday 21 August, open daily from 10-4pm.
A special Vietnam Veterans Day memorial service will be held on Sunday 21 August from 10am the Cooroy War Memorial, Diamond Street, Cooroy.