IN PICTURES: WA turns out to honour beloved Arthur Leggett
West Australians turned out on Saturday morning to farewell their final World War II prisoner of war, Arthur Leggett OAM.
A military-led procession began the State funeral for the veteran and survivor of the Lamsdorf Death March, who died on April 6, aged 106.
The procession consisted of two guards of soldiers from the Royal Western Australia Regiment, a Bearer Party, and the WA Army Band.
People, young and old, lined St Georges Terrace to pay their respects to Mr Leggett.
One couple held up a 'Lest We Forget' sign, while veterans paying their respects held their hats to their hearts as Mr Leggett's casket went by.
Read the full story on thewest.com.au.
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The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
'People see injustice': fight goes on for Vietnam vets
Australians who fought in Vietnam have been acknowledged at ceremonies around the nation to mark the 59th anniversary of the costliest battle of the contentious conflict. The end of the Vietnam War, Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th century, was commemorated on Monday, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. Services throughout Australia included a major gathering of servicemen and women in Sydney's Martin Place. But for many a different battle drags on. Bernie Cox attended in Sydney and told AAP people had gained a greater appreciation for what veterans of the conflict faced. "People can see the injustice of the whole thing," he said. After being conscripted to serve in Vietnam, he faced "animosity" attending university after he returned home. "Even some of those people now would say that was a bit unfair," he said. Relatives of Mr Cox served in World War I and World War II. "I just thought that's what Aussie kids did, join the army ... it's normal," he said. He found out that wasn't necessarily the case after being conscripted. "I got a bit of a shock, it wasn't such a great adventure in the end." Having not always felt fully recognised, 2500 Australians excluded from receiving the Vietnam Campaign Medal continue their struggle to be acknowledged despite increasing public awareness of what veterans went through. The Vietnam Veterans Association and the RSL are calling on the federal government to award the honour to the contingent, who were among 60,000 Australians to serve in the conflict between 1962 and 1975, but remain without acknowledgement because of a technicality. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Navy veteran Bob Braithwaite finally received his medal last week after multiple applications and rejections. After joining up as a teenager, he served 120 days in Vietnam before having to return because of injury. "It's very hard, very hard," Mr Braithwaite told AAP from his home in Adelaide in the lead-up to Vietnam Veterans' Day. "You weren't recognised as a full veteran in my books ... you could say it felt like being a car with only three wheels." Conscripted into service and sent to fight in a deeply unpopular war, the veterans awaiting recognition completed at least 60 days in-country, serving under harrowing conditions. Because their national service obligations ended before they reached the 181-day threshold, they were sent home and denied the campaign medal - and the recognition and respect many of their comrades received. Made to feel like they had not done enough, some were labelled "short-timers" and have since carried the burden. Mr Braithwaite takes medication for PTSD and undergoes a twice-yearly psychological check-up. "You'd go to a hotel on Anzac Day to have lunch and celebrate with your wife and a couple of close friends and the guys with the full medals would kind of look at you a bit funny, and you'd think, 'oh, OK, I haven't finished the process to become a full veteran'. "But the stigma has slowly worn off ... and we seem - the older we get, the fewer we get - to get more appreciation for what we've done." Christopher Anderson said some of his fellow veterans felt more closely aligned with Vietnam Veterans Day than other memorial days such as Anzac Day. "It is still an experience that is close to the hearts of those who participated," he said. "Many of us lost good friends." The broader community and RSL failed to treat veterans well or welcome Vietnam vets when they returned. Then-RSL NSW president Ray James, a veteran of the Vietnam War, was among those to deliver a formal apology on Vietnam Veterans Day in 2023. Some 3000 Australians were wounded throughout the conflict and 524 died during or as a result of their service in Vietnam. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Australians who fought in Vietnam have been acknowledged at ceremonies around the nation to mark the 59th anniversary of the costliest battle of the contentious conflict. The end of the Vietnam War, Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th century, was commemorated on Monday, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. Services throughout Australia included a major gathering of servicemen and women in Sydney's Martin Place. But for many a different battle drags on. Bernie Cox attended in Sydney and told AAP people had gained a greater appreciation for what veterans of the conflict faced. "People can see the injustice of the whole thing," he said. After being conscripted to serve in Vietnam, he faced "animosity" attending university after he returned home. "Even some of those people now would say that was a bit unfair," he said. Relatives of Mr Cox served in World War I and World War II. "I just thought that's what Aussie kids did, join the army ... it's normal," he said. He found out that wasn't necessarily the case after being conscripted. "I got a bit of a shock, it wasn't such a great adventure in the end." Having not always felt fully recognised, 2500 Australians excluded from receiving the Vietnam Campaign Medal continue their struggle to be acknowledged despite increasing public awareness of what veterans went through. The Vietnam Veterans Association and the RSL are calling on the federal government to award the honour to the contingent, who were among 60,000 Australians to serve in the conflict between 1962 and 1975, but remain without acknowledgement because of a technicality. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Navy veteran Bob Braithwaite finally received his medal last week after multiple applications and rejections. After joining up as a teenager, he served 120 days in Vietnam before having to return because of injury. "It's very hard, very hard," Mr Braithwaite told AAP from his home in Adelaide in the lead-up to Vietnam Veterans' Day. "You weren't recognised as a full veteran in my books ... you could say it felt like being a car with only three wheels." Conscripted into service and sent to fight in a deeply unpopular war, the veterans awaiting recognition completed at least 60 days in-country, serving under harrowing conditions. Because their national service obligations ended before they reached the 181-day threshold, they were sent home and denied the campaign medal - and the recognition and respect many of their comrades received. Made to feel like they had not done enough, some were labelled "short-timers" and have since carried the burden. Mr Braithwaite takes medication for PTSD and undergoes a twice-yearly psychological check-up. "You'd go to a hotel on Anzac Day to have lunch and celebrate with your wife and a couple of close friends and the guys with the full medals would kind of look at you a bit funny, and you'd think, 'oh, OK, I haven't finished the process to become a full veteran'. "But the stigma has slowly worn off ... and we seem - the older we get, the fewer we get - to get more appreciation for what we've done." Christopher Anderson said some of his fellow veterans felt more closely aligned with Vietnam Veterans Day than other memorial days such as Anzac Day. "It is still an experience that is close to the hearts of those who participated," he said. "Many of us lost good friends." The broader community and RSL failed to treat veterans well or welcome Vietnam vets when they returned. Then-RSL NSW president Ray James, a veteran of the Vietnam War, was among those to deliver a formal apology on Vietnam Veterans Day in 2023. Some 3000 Australians were wounded throughout the conflict and 524 died during or as a result of their service in Vietnam. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Australians who fought in Vietnam have been acknowledged at ceremonies around the nation to mark the 59th anniversary of the costliest battle of the contentious conflict. The end of the Vietnam War, Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th century, was commemorated on Monday, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. Services throughout Australia included a major gathering of servicemen and women in Sydney's Martin Place. But for many a different battle drags on. Bernie Cox attended in Sydney and told AAP people had gained a greater appreciation for what veterans of the conflict faced. "People can see the injustice of the whole thing," he said. After being conscripted to serve in Vietnam, he faced "animosity" attending university after he returned home. "Even some of those people now would say that was a bit unfair," he said. Relatives of Mr Cox served in World War I and World War II. "I just thought that's what Aussie kids did, join the army ... it's normal," he said. He found out that wasn't necessarily the case after being conscripted. "I got a bit of a shock, it wasn't such a great adventure in the end." Having not always felt fully recognised, 2500 Australians excluded from receiving the Vietnam Campaign Medal continue their struggle to be acknowledged despite increasing public awareness of what veterans went through. The Vietnam Veterans Association and the RSL are calling on the federal government to award the honour to the contingent, who were among 60,000 Australians to serve in the conflict between 1962 and 1975, but remain without acknowledgement because of a technicality. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Navy veteran Bob Braithwaite finally received his medal last week after multiple applications and rejections. After joining up as a teenager, he served 120 days in Vietnam before having to return because of injury. "It's very hard, very hard," Mr Braithwaite told AAP from his home in Adelaide in the lead-up to Vietnam Veterans' Day. "You weren't recognised as a full veteran in my books ... you could say it felt like being a car with only three wheels." Conscripted into service and sent to fight in a deeply unpopular war, the veterans awaiting recognition completed at least 60 days in-country, serving under harrowing conditions. Because their national service obligations ended before they reached the 181-day threshold, they were sent home and denied the campaign medal - and the recognition and respect many of their comrades received. Made to feel like they had not done enough, some were labelled "short-timers" and have since carried the burden. Mr Braithwaite takes medication for PTSD and undergoes a twice-yearly psychological check-up. "You'd go to a hotel on Anzac Day to have lunch and celebrate with your wife and a couple of close friends and the guys with the full medals would kind of look at you a bit funny, and you'd think, 'oh, OK, I haven't finished the process to become a full veteran'. "But the stigma has slowly worn off ... and we seem - the older we get, the fewer we get - to get more appreciation for what we've done." Christopher Anderson said some of his fellow veterans felt more closely aligned with Vietnam Veterans Day than other memorial days such as Anzac Day. "It is still an experience that is close to the hearts of those who participated," he said. "Many of us lost good friends." The broader community and RSL failed to treat veterans well or welcome Vietnam vets when they returned. Then-RSL NSW president Ray James, a veteran of the Vietnam War, was among those to deliver a formal apology on Vietnam Veterans Day in 2023. Some 3000 Australians were wounded throughout the conflict and 524 died during or as a result of their service in Vietnam. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046 Australians who fought in Vietnam have been acknowledged at ceremonies around the nation to mark the 59th anniversary of the costliest battle of the contentious conflict. The end of the Vietnam War, Australia's longest military engagement of the 20th century, was commemorated on Monday, the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. Services throughout Australia included a major gathering of servicemen and women in Sydney's Martin Place. But for many a different battle drags on. Bernie Cox attended in Sydney and told AAP people had gained a greater appreciation for what veterans of the conflict faced. "People can see the injustice of the whole thing," he said. After being conscripted to serve in Vietnam, he faced "animosity" attending university after he returned home. "Even some of those people now would say that was a bit unfair," he said. Relatives of Mr Cox served in World War I and World War II. "I just thought that's what Aussie kids did, join the army ... it's normal," he said. He found out that wasn't necessarily the case after being conscripted. "I got a bit of a shock, it wasn't such a great adventure in the end." Having not always felt fully recognised, 2500 Australians excluded from receiving the Vietnam Campaign Medal continue their struggle to be acknowledged despite increasing public awareness of what veterans went through. The Vietnam Veterans Association and the RSL are calling on the federal government to award the honour to the contingent, who were among 60,000 Australians to serve in the conflict between 1962 and 1975, but remain without acknowledgement because of a technicality. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Navy veteran Bob Braithwaite finally received his medal last week after multiple applications and rejections. After joining up as a teenager, he served 120 days in Vietnam before having to return because of injury. "It's very hard, very hard," Mr Braithwaite told AAP from his home in Adelaide in the lead-up to Vietnam Veterans' Day. "You weren't recognised as a full veteran in my books ... you could say it felt like being a car with only three wheels." Conscripted into service and sent to fight in a deeply unpopular war, the veterans awaiting recognition completed at least 60 days in-country, serving under harrowing conditions. Because their national service obligations ended before they reached the 181-day threshold, they were sent home and denied the campaign medal - and the recognition and respect many of their comrades received. Made to feel like they had not done enough, some were labelled "short-timers" and have since carried the burden. Mr Braithwaite takes medication for PTSD and undergoes a twice-yearly psychological check-up. "You'd go to a hotel on Anzac Day to have lunch and celebrate with your wife and a couple of close friends and the guys with the full medals would kind of look at you a bit funny, and you'd think, 'oh, OK, I haven't finished the process to become a full veteran'. "But the stigma has slowly worn off ... and we seem - the older we get, the fewer we get - to get more appreciation for what we've done." Christopher Anderson said some of his fellow veterans felt more closely aligned with Vietnam Veterans Day than other memorial days such as Anzac Day. "It is still an experience that is close to the hearts of those who participated," he said. "Many of us lost good friends." The broader community and RSL failed to treat veterans well or welcome Vietnam vets when they returned. Then-RSL NSW president Ray James, a veteran of the Vietnam War, was among those to deliver a formal apology on Vietnam Veterans Day in 2023. Some 3000 Australians were wounded throughout the conflict and 524 died during or as a result of their service in Vietnam. Lifeline 13 11 14 Open Arms 1800 011 046
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
WWII veteran Harold Slater remembers the day Japan surrendered
102-year-old Harold Slater is one of around 100 World War II veterans still living in Western Australia. On the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day, he recalls the moments after Japan surrendered. Mr Slater was based in Wewak in Papua New Guinea. "My task was to put together a task force of four armed rifleman, a Japanese interpreter, and a broadcasting system," he said. "The bombs had been dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima but that news had never got down to where we were at Wewak. "It was our task to take an armed patrol boat up and down the banks and announce that the Emperor [of Japan] had surrendered, that they were to lay down their arms, and occupy the barb-wire enclosure we had erected." Mr Slater commemorates VP Day by remembering his fallen friends and brother-in-law. ( ) He still has the sword a Japanese soldier gave him in surrender. "I got him to write his name on a bandage and attached it to the sword," he said. "I promised him that if ever I went to Japan, I would take that sword with me and locate his parents. "It was a good intention of mine, but it never materialised, I could never find his parents." On VP Day he remembers his good friends and his brother-in-law who are no longer with him. "That's why I always go to the dawn service and the memorial services. To remember them, the mateship we enjoyed."
West Australian
4 days ago
- West Australian
Snap Send Solve survey: The West Aussie councils that made it to top 10 on national list
West Australians have spoken — and they want better parks, smoother footpaths and less graffiti in their suburbs. New data from community reporting app Snap Send Solve has revealed what's most important to WA residents when it comes to local government. The first-of-its-kind satisfaction survey, drawn from tens of thousands of app users, shows though WA councils top the country for performance, residents still have plenty of concerns — from bin collection and traffic congestion to untidy public spaces and crumbling footpaths. Parks and gardens topped the wishlist for improvements, followed closely by cycling and walking infrastructure, parking headaches, and graffiti clean-ups. More than 75,000 Australians took part in the survey, with Snap Send Solve gathering data based on reports sent to 125 of WA's 137 local councils over the past year. In WA alone, the most common issues flagged were rubbish and bins, parking problems, abandoned shopping trolleys, park and council facility concerns, and tree maintenance. Despite the volume of complaints, WA came out on top nationally, with councils here receiving an average satisfaction rating of 62.7 per cent — just above the national average of 61.2 per cent. The standout performer? The City of Mandurah, which took the top spot nationwide. Cockburn, Gosnells, Stirling and Joondalup also ranked in the top 10, meaning WA made up half of the country's best-rated councils. 'We have relationships with lots of councils in WA and I think they're absolutely providing a great service to the community,' Snap Send Solve founder Danny Gorog said. 'I think the councils are smaller by population and that means it's a bit more personal. I guess I'm not surprised. 'If I compare driving around the suburbs of Perth to the suburbs in Sydney or Melbourne, you can tell that it's neater.' Mr Gorog, who launched the app 15 years ago after a frustrating trip to the local park with his son, said the idea came from a simple question. 'At the time I had a young son and I took him to a local playground around the corner from where I lived,' he said. 'He loved going on the swing. I got to the park and the chain on the swing was broken and he just started to cry and have a tantrum. 'I looked around and I was like, how do I get this fixed? And so that was the genesis of the idea.' Since then, the app has handled hundreds of thousands of reports — and in WA, nine in 10 reports were marked as solved last year. The results suggest local governments are listening — but the message from the community is clear: clean up the streets, maintain the parks, and make it safer and easier to walk and cycle around town.
