AS Vietnam War veterans step into RSL leadership, Balranald artist Robyn Davis and husband Edward King have collated the Good Morning Vietnam exhibition of memorabilia and records from the war.
Mr King, a Dharug man, was part of the first intake of Australian National Servicemen to be sent to Vietnam in 1962 to clear the jungle and make landing zones for helicopters.
He was assigned to the front as a forward scout, which Ms Davis said was because of the common perception at the time that First Nations people had good eyesight.
The exhibition includes an audio interview of then-Private King’s recollection of the Battle of Long Tan, as part of the platoon that did the clean up the day after.
“The Battle of Long Tan started during Little Pattie Col Joy’s third concert of August 18, 1966, so Edward’s memories are interspersed with the music from the concert,” Ms Davis said.
“It’s quite a powerful piece of interview.”
The exhibition also includes framed posters of Private Paul Haw’s photographs, who was given a camera by his father when he was first conscripted in to the service.
“He was told to take as many photographs as he could and they are absolutely stunning,” Ms Davis said.
“We also have his original camera that he used to take them.
“We have collated a lot of memorabilia including weaponry, uniforms, helmets and letters, lots of information about the Battle of Long Tan and others, and the original map of operations for the battle, which shows the plan of attack.”
There is also a complete record of the Australian soldiers were sent to Vietnam and their biographical information, as well as two large mosaics which belonged to the Ex-Servicemen’s Memorial Club.
“The exhibition isn’t to glorify war, it’s to stop and remember and recognise the repercussions to a whole family when a member goes to war,” Ms Davis said.
“It affects all the family, even the grandchildren, particularly the Vietnam War, where there are still people having health issues from Agent Orange three-four generations down the track.
“A lot of younger generation don’t know a lot about Vietnam, especially because it was viewed so negatively, and now most of our returned soldiers that are holding together the RSLs are Vietnam War veterans.”
Ms Davis is a Wadi Wadi Elder and artist and has put on several exhibitions, and saw the educational value in collating Good Morning Vietnam as an educational experience.
“I’m an Indigenous artist and Elder, this is my tribal area around here and this is just another exhibition I thought was important to put on,” she said.
Good Morning Vietnam is on display now at the Balranald Art Gallery and will be open until early June.
