June 25, 2020, marks 70 years since war broke out on the Korean peninsula and to mark the sacrifices of the more than 17,000 Australians who served in the conflict, the Consulate Generals of the Republic of Korea in Sydney and Melbourne are running initiatives to “convey gratitude” on behalf of their country.
Run in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre Australia and ANZAC Memorial, the ‘Lest Korea Forget’ initiative will see the portraits of eight soldiers feature on the facades of light rail trains in Sydney until July 26.
At the same time, a tram decorated with the portraits of Australian soldiers and a message will travel through the Melbourne city centre.
The Korean Consulate General in Sydney Sang-woo Hong tells SBS Korean that it’s hoped the light rail campaign will introduction members of the public to relatively lesser-known Australian veterans.
Melbourne tram campaign Lest Korea Forget' from June 22 until July 26. Source: Supplied
Source: SBS
They include Grace Bury who served as a nursing sister, Brian Cooper who showed outstanding leadership at the age of 20 during the Battle of the Samichon River, Steve Dodd who was the first Aboriginal man to sign up from South Australia to go to Korea, and Ian Crawford who served nine months of active duty in the Korean War among others.
The initiative is part of efforts to “commemorate and remember the bravery and heroism" shown by the Australian forces who played an integral part in the coalition of 21 United Nation Forces that fought for the freedom of the Republic of Korea.
Flight Sergeant Cecil Sly, who is part of the campaign. Source: Australian War Memorial
Warwick Bracegirdle saw extensive service in both the Second World War and the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on three occasions. Source: Australian War Memorial
"We will remember the Australian veterans of the forgotten Korean War on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War,” the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Melbourne Hanil Cheon says.
"We convey the Korean government's gratitude for the Australian military's sacrifice and plan a tram campaign to raise the interest of Australian citizens."
The portraits of Australians as presented as part of the Sydney light rail campaign 'Lest Korea Forget'. Source: Supplied
An online talk with Bradley Manera and Korean War veteran Rear Admiral Ian Crawford to rediscover the meaning of the Korean War as a 'War to Remember Together' will be available to view on the Korean Cultural Centre (KCC) from June 30, while a special screening the documentary ‘Passage to Pusan’ will be presented via the KCC’s YouTube page until June 30.
From 1950 to 1953, Australia dispatched over 17,000 troops to the Korean War, of which 340 were killed and over 1,216 wounded.
Brian Cooper served in Korea with during 1953-54. Source: Australian War Memorial
As of December 2019, about 2,500 Korean War veterans are still alive in Australia.
