Vietnam Veterans’ Vigil held on Thursday to commemorate the lives of two local servicemen

Coronation Park on Giblett Street in Manjimup became a place of mourning and silence on Thursday morning, when the Vietnam Veterans Vigil took place to commemorate Australian servicemen who lost their lives during the war. The vigil was attended by many members of the Manjimup community who gathered at the war memorial, where Richard Aldersea and Vincent Tobin had their names marked as local servicemen who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. Richard Aldersea’s relatives and Pemberton residents wanting to honour the memory of Vincent Tobin were also in attendance for the service, while members of their units were at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth, having services at their gravesites. The service started with a welcome and speech from Manjimup RSL president Wayne Hughes, before a prayer and the playing of The Last Post. The service then continued with a minute of silence, to pay respects to the fallen soldiers, before having The Rouse and the raising of the flag. Manjimup RSL secretary Ted Middleton said the service “went very well”. “It was definitely successful,” he said. “It was a very small service and we had people from Pemberton attend, wanting to honour Vincent who was from Pemberton himself.” He said the Aldersea family came to the RSL afterwards and presented a flag that was given to them after Richard’s death. “It was only a few who were given a flag after the passing of a serviceman, and the Aldersea family wanted us to have a flag given to them.”