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 photographs can then be uploaded 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.
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,