The dedication ceremony for the Vietnam Forces National Memorial in Canberra took place some eighteen years ago on 3rd October 1992, since that time thousands of people have been into or viewed the imposing structure and possibly many of them have also have sat on one of the three seats set slightly away from the Memorial.

For a lot of years those seats had borne the weight of a myriad of visitors, yet, it wasn’t until 2007 that they finally began to be occupied by the people they were originally built for. Lance Corporal Richard Parker and Private Peter Gillson were the first, followed later in that year by Lance Corporal John Gillespie, then, in 2008 Private David John Elkington Fisher joined them, Those seats were originally built to commemorate Australia’s six MIA’s from Vietnam, and finally, nearly forty years since Australian Forces departed Vietnam, with the arrival of Pilot Officer Robert Charles Carver and Flying Officer Michael Herbert on the 31 August 2009 the two remaining places were filled. All back home, together forever.

This year’s commemoration of National Vietnam Veterans Day (44th anniversary of the battle of Long Tan) at Pearlbrook was a special occasion as it was held for the first time with the last of Australia’s Vietnam Forces back on home soil, and, although Blackie from The VVMC NSW Chapter as guest speaker for the ceremony only made a short comment to the fact, his few words were certainly not lost on all in attendance that a huge debt of gratitude goes out to all the people involved in finding and repatriating them.

Once again the NSW Chapter hosted what has to be one of the best Services in the country, and combined with the evenings entertainment certainly gave their guests a damn good way to spend a weekend with like minded bikers, No photographs can do justice to the feel of the place, and, if you haven’t been there before, fair dinkum, you don’t know what your missing out on, so, grab your pen and mark it down in your calendar for next year and bring something warm to wear as it does get a bit cold at night.

Thanks to VVMC NSW Chapter and all those involved in allowing us share your most important day.