Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk faces funding hurdle

Backdropped by spotted gums and tussock grasses, which have both been arranged to simulate the agricultural landscape of Vietnam, the walk acts as a tribute to the more than 60,000 Australian personnel who served in the Vietnam War.

A total of 106 glass panels stand on the walk, each inscribed with every name of the Australians who served.

Stretched across the panels as well are images from the war, some of which are entirely unique to the walk.

Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Mitchell branch president John Phoenix said the process of creating the memorial was extensive, yet well worth it.

“One of the criteria we laid down straight away was that everyone’s name had to be on the memorial,” Mr Phoenix said.

“We then put the message out for all our members to bring in every photo they got.

“Every table at the RSL was just covered in photos. We had a few from the Canberra War Memorial that we did use, but most of the photos that are on there had never been seen before — they were all from local members.

“A lot of the blokes, even then, said ‘this is probably the best thing we’ve ever done’, because they started talking about Vietnam, when, before that, most of them bottled it up.”

In a square of four panels at the walk is a memorial for those Vietnam War service personnel honoured with the Victoria Cross.

Peter Badcoe, Keith Payne, Kevin Wheatley and Ray Simpson, all part of the Australian Army Training Team, were the only Vietnam veterans awarded the honour.

That was until last year, when the late Private Richard Norden was bestowed the Victoria Cross on Remembrance Day.

While the honour comes as a necessary recognition, it leaves Mr Phoenix with a big obstacle to tackle.

“The problem we’ve got here is that the four panels are mounted in concrete as a square, and because they’re glass, the only way we can do the fifth Victoria Cross is to remove those panels completely, and to remove them, they must be destroyed,” Mr Phoenix said.

“We have to get five new panels made up, and the frames, and everything else.

“We’ve got a quote for $85,000 to manufacture the five panels, we probably need another $20,000 to $25,0000 to do the lighting, and we also understand, from some rumours, that there could possibly be a sixth panel.”

The Mitchell branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia now faces a fee of at least $100,000 to complete these necessary updates to the walk and, with the federal election approaching, committee members are hoping funding promises will be made.

Mr Phoenix has already reached out to many of the local state and federal members and is currently drafting a story and quote for the Defence Minister.

“With all the federal funding that’s been thrown around left, right and centre, I thought they would have at least had a look at it,” Mr Phoenix said.

If funding is secured, this project is set to be a necessary instalment to the walk, which adheres to the vision of the site being a memorial for each and every Australian service personnel involved in the Vietnam War.

Mr Phoenix said the project may be one of his last major contributions to the memorial, before ownership is given to Mitchell Shire Council.

“And when we get all that done, we hopefully will hand it over to the shire,” Mr Phoenix said.

“Vietnam vets, we’ve probably only got another 10 years left, just like how there’s no World War II vets around any more.

“We’ve lost probably about 50 per cent already.

“It’s one of those things where time keeps marching on.”

Fundraising for the project is set to take place in town.

For more information or to get involved, Mr Phoenix urges anyone to get in contact on 0410 576 201.