Vietnam Forces National Memorial, War memorial in Canberra, Australia.
The Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial stands on Anzac Parade in Canberra. Three concrete stelae lean inward from a shallow moat, forming a triangle around a space for contemplation. A low stone block serves as a seat and a place for tributes. The north wall carries 33 inscriptions, and the west wall bears a photograph by Mike Coleridge of soldiers of 5 Platoon, B Company, 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, waiting at Nui Dat after Operation Ullmarah on 26 August 1967.
The memorial was dedicated on October 3, 1992, with approximately half of Australia's Vietnam veterans participating in a ceremonial march past the site. This dedication represented a major public recognition of the service and sacrifices made by those who served in the war.
The memorial displays 33 quotations in stainless steel lettering drawn from military operation reports, personal letters written by service members, and public documents of the era. These words from those who lived through the conflict shape how the place speaks to visitors today.
The memorial stands on Anzac Parade, the ceremonial avenue running from the Australian War Memorial towards Lake Burley Griffin, and is reached on foot along that route. The three concrete stelae rise from a shallow moat, so the ground around the base is uneven; the low stone block at the centre serves as a seat and as a place to lay tributes. Six seats around the perimeter are each dedicated to an Australian serviceman missing in action in Vietnam.
The halo of stones above the memorial is made of 26 black granite blocks, each weighing 120 kg, suspended on wires anchored to the walls. A scroll sealed inside one block lists the Australians who died in Vietnam. The memorial was funded largely by public donations to the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial Committee.
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