Inverloch Vietnam Veterans leading the way
KEVIN Walsh is the last surviving member of the Inverloch RSL who saw service in World War II. And according the guest speaker Inverloch’s Vietnam Veterans Day observance last Sunday, August 18, Rod Gallagher, the numbers of former Vietnam War...
TREVOR Scott is the last surviving member of the Inverloch RSL who saw service in World War II. And according the guest speaker Inverloch’s Vietnam Veterans Day observance last Sunday, August 18, Rod Gallagher, the numbers of former Vietnam War servicemen and women are also way down.
He believes that of the 60,000 men and women who served between 1962 and 1973, fewer than half of them are left.
“I’ve been taking an interest in the number of Vietnam Veterans registered with the Department of Veterans Affairs over the past 10 years and more than 30,000 of them have passed on from various causes and I’ll just leave that there,” he said.
Mr Gallagher provided some recollections of his own experiences landing in Saigon to start his tour of duty and then went on to recite the Ode of Remembrance. “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old…”
There was a good turnout of veterans and members of the community at the 12 noon service, with many of them staying on for lunch afterwards.
Inverloch RSL President Ross Gabb and Secretary Lindsay Guerin took charge of proceedings, and as well as the address by Mr Gallagher, immediate past president Bob Sutton laid the first wreath.
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale laid a wreath on behalf of the State Government.
