Service honours Long Tan forces

Vietnam veterans, returned servicemen and the public all attended the memorial at Centennial Park yesterday for the Long Tan Day service.

The ceremony pays tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War and commemorates the Battle of Long Tan between Australian, New Zealand and Vietnamese forces.

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor Ron Yuryevich and Kalgoorlie MLA Wendy Duncan attended the service, organised by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Vietnam Veterans Association.

The Goldfields Brass Band provided music, which included a reading of the Lord’s Prayer and a wreath laying ceremony.

A delegation then visited the Kalgoorlie Cemetery for a wreath laying service at the grave of Kevin Coles, who was just 21 when he stepped on a landmine and was killed during the 10-year-war.

Kalgoorlie RSL property officer Murray Joyce said the turnout was encouraging, with about 150 at the Boulder RSL following the event.

“I thought it was a good day, representative of what we set out to do,” he said.

“I felt sure everybody enjoyed the day.”