Story: Asian conflicts

Tribute 08 march to Parliament

Tribute 08 march to Parliament

Vietnam veterans participate in an honour march in Wellington on 31 May 2008. Many veterans felt their service in Vietnam was not given sufficient recognition and that the government and the public had ignored their contribution, despite the fact that 161 Battery paraded through Auckland in May 1971. Criticisms by anti-war activists upset some returned soldiers. This was compounded by the fact that few people at home, including older Returned Servicemen's Association members, took much interest in their Vietnam experiences. The long struggle to gain acceptance of Agent Orange claims added to their bitterness. The veterans' concerns were addressed to some extent in 2008, when Prime Minister Helen Clark apologised to them on behalf of the government. The gathering in Wellington that followed was known as Tribute 08. It included a parade in which veterans and relatives carried pictures of the Vietnam dead, an unusual event in New Zealand veterans' parades.

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Reference: 47324
Photograph by Tim Hales

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How to cite this page:

Ian McGibbon, 'Asian conflicts - Withdrawal from Vietnam', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/34545/tribute-08-march-to-parliament (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Ian McGibbon, published 20 Jun 2012, updated 1 Feb 2016