Ageing Gold Coast Vietnam veterans moving memorial to Nerang to ensure legacy lives on
The Vietnam Veterans Association of Coolangatta Tweed needs to move its memorial as it now requires too much labour for their ageing group.
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THEY fought courageously in unforgiving jungle and now these veterans are battling to save their legacy.
The Vietnam Veterans Association of Coolangatta Tweed needs to move its memorial from the Kirra Sports Club as it now requires too much labour for their ageing group.
“Members can’t really get into gardening, we’ve lost a few and we’ve got no younger ones coming up behind to help maintain the gardens,” Vietnam Veterans Day organiser Dave Donlan said.
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“The Nerang RSL heard us talking one day and picked up on the conversation and they said we’d be more than welcome to set up our garden at their RSL.
“They have their own permanent gardener.”
President John Weldon said the association celebrated Vietnam Veterans Day at the Kirra Sports Club this week.
“The members were a bit down this year, usually we get about 150 people on the day,” he said.
“We only had about 100 ... you’ve got to take into consideration that most of the Vietnam vets are in their late 60s or early 70s.
“It can be too hard for some of them to get to these reunions.”
Mr Weldon said he wasn’t about to let old age stand in his way of remembering his dear friends killed in the war.
“I celebrate every year since I’ve been on the Coast,” he said.
“Today means a lot to me. A young fella I went to school with died in the battle.
“We left school and five years later he was dead.
“A couple of the blokes I went through recruit training with, they were killed in Vietnam as well.”
Mr Weldon is hoping for a much larger crowd at next year’s memorial which will celebrate 50 years.
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