Vietnam Forces National Memorial facts for kids
The Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial is a special place in Canberra, Australia's capital city. It sits on Anzac Parade, which is a main road with many memorials. This memorial was officially opened on October 3, 1992. It honors the 50,000 Australians who served in the Vietnam War. These brave people came from the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Australian Air Force.
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What Does the Memorial Look Like?
The memorial has three tall concrete pillars, called stelae. They rise out of a shallow pool of water. These pillars create a quiet space where people can think and remember.
A low stone block acts as a seat. It is also a place where visitors can leave flowers or other tributes.
Messages on the Walls
On the right wall, there are 33 special messages. These are quotes and phrases that remind us of important military and political events from the war. A picture etched on the back wall shows Australian soldiers. They are waiting to be flown to their base at Nui Dat after a mission called Operation Ullmarah.
Wires stretch from the walls, holding up a circle of stones. One of these stones holds a scroll with the names of all Australians who died in Vietnam.
Seats for the Missing
Six seats are placed around the memorial. Each seat is dedicated to an Australian serviceman who went missing in action during the Vietnam War. This means they were lost and never found.
Who Designed the Memorial?
The memorial was designed by a group called Tonkin Zulaikha Harford. They worked with a sculptor named Ken Unsworth AM. Most of the money to build the memorial came from people donating to the Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial Committee.
