VIETNAM - ONE IN, ALL IN
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this exhibition, its collateral materials and programs, includes images and names of people who have passed.
“As Aboriginal veterans we are proud of our military service in Vietnam. The good mates we met were like family, we stuck together and we still do today. Vietnam was a different sort of war. It was a fight to stay alive and come home, and at the time our efforts and sacrifices were not appreciated by many Australians when we came home.”
Les Kropinyeri, Gil Green and Frank Clarke
Foreword, Forgotten heroes, Reconciliation SA 2017
VIETNAM – ONE IN, ALL IN is an exhibition sharing untold stories of Aboriginal Vietnam Veterans from South Australia. It features artworks by twelve Aboriginal artists – Allan Collins, Brad Darkson, Beaver Lennon, Hayley Miller-Baker, Clem Newchurch, Lavene Ngatokorua, Sandra Saunders, Damien Shen, James Tylor and Tony Wilson. Each artist was paired with an Aboriginal veteran from South Australia who had served during the Vietnam War and was asked to creatively respond to their stories and recorded oral histories.
In addition, artists Major Sumner AM and Raymond Zada were commissioned to create commemorative artworks to acknowledge the service of all South Australia’s Aboriginal Vietnam veterans – both living and passed.
Together, the works capture the personal stories and military history of these Aboriginal veterans – inviting us to pause, reflect, and recognise their service. We can learn a lot from their stories, taking a lead from the Australian Army and Navy where it was and still is, one in all in.
Shield and Spears Guarding Their Country - Wakkaldi Kaiki Tapun Yarluwar Ruwe, 2019
Major Sumner AM
Tell us your story
Indigenous Liaison Officer, Michael Bell, is seeking information about people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who have served, currently serving, have military experience and/or contributed to the war effort. He is interested in further details of the military history of all of these people and their families.
If your family has a connection to Indigenous service, please contact Michael Bell at Michael.Bell@awm.gov.au or call (02) 6243 4406.
Acknowledgement
VIETNAM – ONE IN, ALL IN was developed and led by Country Arts SA in 2019, curated by Jessica Clark and produced by Lee-Ann Tjunypa Buckskin. It was supported by Aboriginal Veterans SA, the Government of South Australia and SA Statewide Indigenous Community Arts Development project.
In 2023 the Memorial acquired the contemporary exhibition VIETNAM - ONE IN, ALL IN with the generous support of Boeing Australia.
In memory
We remember all of the Aboriginal veterans who have served our nation for the love of country. We thank and honour them for protecting us. They will never be forgotten and their memory will be passed on to future generations.
Text: courtesy of the Authors and Country Arts SA
Portrait photos: Colleen Strangways
Artwork photos: Chris Herzfeld
Artists: Allan Collins, Brad Darkson, Beaver Lennon, Hayley Millar-Baker, Clem Newchurch, Lavene Ngatokorua, Sandra Saunders, Damien Shen, Major Sumner AM, James Tylor, Tony Wilson, and Raymond Zada.
Veterans: Private Francis Howard Clarke, Corporal Gordon Joseph Franklin, Private Gilbert George Green, Corporal Leslie Brian Kropinyeri, Lance Corporal Kenneth Cleland Laughton, Sergeant Jeffrey Phillip McCormack, Seaman Ivan Clyde McKenzie, Lance Corporal John Anthony Parmenter, Craftsman Richard Edward Sansbury, Stewardess Marjorie Tripp AO.