Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last weekend I attended two remembrance ceremonies for Vietnam veterans. The member for Dobell attended one of those with me—yesterday, when we attended the ceremony at the Keith Payne Hostel in Noraville, within her electorate. It was a very beautiful ceremony in a fantastic setting.

There is a memorial garden at the Keith Payne Hostel. We sat in the garden and listened to the contributions by the various people there and I was able to think about the enormous contribution made by our 'nashos'—in many cases—who stood up and fought for Australia in Vietnam.

On Saturday I attended the annual ceremony at Newcastle City Hall. It was to be held in the park, but unfortunately it was raining. That is also a very special ceremony. Each year one of the 19 young men who was killed in Vietnam's is profiled. For that person, along with every other person who lost their life there, a flag is placed in their memory. It is a very moving ceremony and it is a time when we remember the contribution of Australian soldiers in Vietnam.