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The National Service Memorial
A
Memorial Elegant in its Simplicity
And in Memory
of those who Died...
A
total of 4,200 National Servicemen and their families watched in the
culmination of nine years of planning, fund raising and construction.
Mrs.
Betty Kingston, 83, of Brisbane, whose son Ian died in Vietnam and Miss
Isabella Doherty, 17, of Victoria, who lost her grandfather, John
Doherty also in Vietnam, laid a wreath of 212 poppies – one for
each life of those who did not return.
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The
Governor General described National Servicemen as those who recognised
their obligations in their service to Australia. She unveiled a plaque
on the sandstone seating surrounding the fountain detailing the history
of the two National Service schemes in which 287,000 young Australians
served between 1951 and 1972. They included her husband, His
Excellency Michael Bryce AM AE, who served in the Royal Australian Air
Force. In the photo (at
left)
Her Excellency is accompanied by the Chairman of the National Council of
the Australian War Memorial, General Peter Cosgrove and the NSAA’s
National President Major Earle Jennings.
The
night before, at the reception tendered by the Australian Government at
Parliament House, National Servicemen and their partners were involved
in dramatic national events as the newly appointed minority Prime
Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard and the Opposition Leader, the Hon.
Tony Abbott attended their very first official function. The host was
the Minister for Veterans Affairs, the Hon. Alan Griffin, who lost the
portfolio the next day. |
The
Great Hall of Parliament House held 1,000 guests – members of the
National and State Councils, Sub-Branch representatives chosen by
ballot, members of the families of the 212 who died on active service
and official guests. Pipers from the National Servicemen’s
Memorial Pipes and Drums provided the music.
The Parade
On
Wednesday, 8 September, in a sea of blue blazers and berets, an
estimated 2,500 National Servicemen formed the largest parade of its
kind in their history in Anzac Parade.
They
marched in the year of their call-up – from the pioneers of 1951 to the
last Vietnam call-up in 1972.
With
their families, they travelled from all over Australia to watch the
solemn ceremony around the Memorial. The sandstone, granite and bronze
fountain, set in its own precinct of red gravel paths, sandstone
surrounds and benches flanked by specially planted snow gums, and pencil
pines stands against the imposing backdrop of the iconic Australian War
Memorial.
Archbishop the Rt. Rev Dr. Peter Hollingworth, an RAAF National
Serviceman and former Governor-General of Australia and Senior Pastor Wayne Lyons, a Vietnam veteran blessed the Memorial.
The
Hon. Jeff Kennett, a National Service officer and former Premier of
Victoria, gave the Farewell on behalf of all National Servicemen as the
RAAF Roulettes flashed overhead in salute.
The
National Media Officer, Allen Callaghan, who compered the parade also
was the co-compere with Chris Reason (pictured below) for Channel 7’s
live 75-minute national telecast of the Dedication. The ABC and Sky
television also took the coverage. Channel 7’s owner, Mr. Kerry Stokes,
donated $150,000 to the Memorial fund.
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The
National Servicemen’s Memorial Pipes and Drums played for the parade and
then provided the lone piper, Pipe Major Ian Millard to play the lament
during the wreath laying.
The
most poignant moment came when Mrs. Betty Kingston, 83, of Brisbane, who
lost her son Ian in Vietnam and Miss Isabella Doherty, 17, of Victoria,
whose grandfather, Private John Doherty, also died in Vietnam, laid the
final wreath of 212 red silk poppies – one for each of the National
Servicemen who did not return from Borneo and Vietnam.
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The
inscription on the Memorial reads:
"Dedicated
to all Australian National Servicemen and in memory of those who died".
The nation has recognised our service and honoured those who died and
the families who paid the highest price of all with their loss.
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From the President
The National Service Memorial was built by National
Servicemen for National Servicemen.
Along the way we had help from many organisations and people and I want
to pay tribute to all who were involved in the planning, construction
and dedication of the Memorial by the Governor-General on Wednesday, 8
September 2010.
Your National Executive and Council have put nine years
of work into achieving this recognition of your service to Australia. A
central part of that was paying tribute to the 212 National Servicemen
who did not return from Borneo and Vietnam and to give closure to their
families.
Mrs. Betty Kingston (at
left)
and Miss Isabella Doherty laid the last wreath of 212 poppies on their
behalf.
We owe a great debt
of gratitude to the Australian War Memorial and its staff in the design
and construction of the Memorial and the Dedication service and to the
Minister and Department of Veterans Affairs who also assisted us
financially and in planning and staffing the Reception at Parliament
House. We also can thank Kerry Stokes and Channel 7 for hisassistance to
the fund raising and for the national live telecast of the service. To
all who worked for and assisted with the Dedication, our thanks.
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Earle
Jennings AM RFD ED
National President
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