It was cold and wet in Perth yesterday so instead of heading out in search of inspiration I went back a few weeks to the pictures I took in Kings Park. As I mentioned
Kings Park is the home to many memorials the
Vietnam Pavilion being one of them. Behind a gated area on polished black marble honour boards are the names of 61 West Australian servicemen who died in Vietnam, a memorial service is held here every year on the 18th of August the anniversary of
the battle of Long Tan. The sculpture by Khoat Van Nguyen is of a R.O.V. (Republic of Vietnam) soldier standing alongside an Australian soldier with the badges of the R.O.V. and the three Australian Services etched on the sides of the polished stone base. I adhere strictly to the theory that politics and religion are a very personal subject but let's just say the soldiers who fought in this war had to wait an overly long time to receive recognition for their bravery..I'm done! Surely it can't be halfway point in the week already, that's just nuts.....!
Oh, this park must be very special to you. The nurses' Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC has a special place in my heart, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have such a memorial places, so that is always reminded of this senseless war...
ReplyDeleteThe photos are very beautiful, and the statue is graceful.
Best wishes and have a nice day
CL
Great post, Grace. No matter what war soldiers get involved in, they always deserve respect, for their bravery and sacrifice. They do not make the decisions. Only politicians can and should be blamed for the choices they make (without actually fighting themselves, of course, since others will do it instead.) I come from a country where war is remembered at almost every street corner, in every village, or town, in the form of small memorials or plaques. War is an abomination, but I always, always respect the ones who fought, and their families, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's great to honour the sacrifice, with no reservations, though sometimes it's difficult to separate the sacrifice from the cause. Great statue.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful memorial. Though France was heavily involved in Vietnam, I don't think there's a memorial somewhere. I'll have to search that...
ReplyDeleteI lived in Vietnam, so this touches something in me.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with your views of discussing politics and religion...I also agree that these brave men should be honored.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your visit and especially for commenting and becoming a follower.I think we all share a common quest with our blogs...to communicate and connect with others!
Vietnam was an unmitigated and unnecessary disaster and 58,000 US soldiers died for nothing! Then there were the soldiers from Australia and other countries. Millions of Vietnamese died in this totally unnecessary and senseless war.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, many of our servicemen got seriously screwed up over there. I've known a number of them personally. As an American history teacher, I always spent a week dealing with this conflict and brought in soldiers who fought in Vietnam to share their experiences with the students.
I agree that the sacrifices made by our servicemen and servicewomen should be noted. It's not their fault that cowardly politicians dragged them to hell and back for purposes that are simply incomprehensible today as they were then.
And now, after these few years, we are "good friends" with Vietnam, even though it remains a Communist country. I think that's a good thing, but couldn't we have achieved this "friendship" without killing millions of innocents?
Here endeth my message for the day! :-))
I wish it was cold and rainy here! We have the opposite problem, the sun is so bright and hot that we can't go out. Lovely post.
ReplyDeleteit seemed to take forever for these brave people to be recognized!
ReplyDeleteTo ciel: there's a memorial in Frejus (Var)
ReplyDeleteLet's never forget, whatever the war was, those who died deserve our respect and admiration.
un bel hommage et une belle sculpture
ReplyDeleteWhat a very special place, Gracie! Your captures are beautiful! Thanks for sharing this!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sculpture. I have been to Kings Park so many times and never seen this one. That park is just so huge, there´s lots to discover still I´m sure!
ReplyDeleteThis is a very, very touching tribute. I've known American Vietnam veterans - the war still retains a certain unpopularity here and it was the soldiers who sacrificed. How poignant that the sculptor is (probably?) Vietnamese.
ReplyDeleteAmazing just how any distinctive memorial to Vietnam soldiers can be difficult to find! In fact, those found tend to be dated a few years old! Far too much time of silence! That pavilion is beautiful! A unique memorial to the Viet guys from Australia.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memorial.
ReplyDeleteEvery thinking American understands that when the tough times come, our ANZAC allies will join the fastest, stand the closest, will share the ugly work, will have HEART in the dark moment. . . YOU folks are our brothers and sisters; More so than ever as we re-frame our policies for the new Pacific era!
ReplyDeleteProud to know you
Wishing you a pleasant thoughts &
Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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It's a beautiful memorial. I'm of the mind to think it's sad that we have so many of these memorials.
ReplyDeleteUn mémorial, quel qu'il soit, est toujours intéressant à visiter. C'est toute une histoire!...
ReplyDeleteI know! Where does the time go??!! I'm glad because I've been working crazy hours and need a break!! After Thursday, I'm on vacation again.
ReplyDeleteYour cool temps sound really nice. As for the memorial, it's nice to have a place to remember those who sacrificied it all.
Very informative post with good pictures...
ReplyDeleteThe best thing Harold Wilson ever did was to avoid sending troops to Vietnam. Tony Blair failed to learn his lesson. Shame it takes so long to get recognition, although at least one Aussie sergeant did win a VC there.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful and important memorial with lots of history.Great article and your pictures are beautiful, mainly the first one! :)
ReplyDeleteLéia
Bel reportage..
ReplyDeleteGreat pavilion and memorial.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info- I had no idea that Australia was involved in Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteVery nice memorial and your pictures are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteA very special place and memorial and agree with your sentiments Grace.
ReplyDeleteI really like the vivid colors of the photo. What mode do you use often in your camera?
ReplyDeleteReally right tribute. Arianna
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Great memorial.
ReplyDelete