Vigils to remember them

POIGNANT ceremonies were held simultaneously across Australia on Thursday to recognise Vietnam War veterans, with Mareeba, Ravenshoe and Atherton all hosting vigils in the region.

PICTURED LEFT: Gathered at the grave of Private Leslie James Weston on Thursday were his wife Diana (left), his son Paul, and his twin sister Lorraine Carrick.

The Vietnam Veterans Vigils were held at 11am on Thursday to mark 60 years since the arrival of the Australian Army Training team in South Vietnam on 3 August 1962 and 50 years since the withdrawal of combat troops in 1972.

At Atherton, relatives and friends gathered at the graveside of Private Leslie James Weston who died on 30 September 1967, while in Mareeba, the service was held at the graveside of Corporal Raymond Bruce Weston who died in Vietnam on 20 July 1971, and in Ravenshoe, at the graveside of Sapper Robert Barclay Wilson who died on 16 July 1971.