The memorial remembers those who suffered and died in the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1973. The campaign for a Vietnam memorial dates from the 'Welcome Home Parade' held in Sydney on October 3, 1987 and dedication took place exactly five years later. It is the joint work of architect Peter Tonkin and sculptor Ken Unsworth and responds to the design competition requirements to express 'the link between the Australian Vietnam Forces and the original ANZAC Force' and also to represent 'the controversy at home'. The external design was limited by ceremonial and parade considerations and by other memorials along Anzac Parade.

The designers wanted to incorporate the four elements of earth, wind, water and fire. The domed shape of the internal floor represents the earth and the whole structure is open to the wind. A moat defines an island across the water and removed from the outside world. Unfortunately, cost restraints and the fire risk meant a permanent flame wasn't permitted so fire is represented by the sunlight across the face of the memorial.

Australian Vietnam Forces National Memorial, Dedicated October 3, 1992 Camberra.
The image etched onto the wall of the memorial is based on the photograph taken by Sgt. Mike Coleridge on August 26, 1967, near Lang Phuoc Hai, Phuoc Tuy Province. It shows soldiers from 7RAR being airlifted to Nui Dat after the completion of Operation Ulmarrah. Quotations on the wall reflect a unique vocabulary developed during the Vietnam War. Contained within the circle suspended above are the names of those Australians who died in the Vietnam War 1962-1973

The stele are tapered and inclined to the centre, symbolizing commemoration and contemplation. Suspended from the stele and forming the centerpiece of the memorial is a granite ring or halo symbolizing the spirits of the dead being lifted from the Earth.

On the inner face of the western stele is etched a larger than life representation of members of the 7th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment being airlifted by U.S. helicopters from the fishing village of Lang Phuoc Hai to return to Nui Dat. It is a blow-up of an Army public relations photo taken by Sgt. Mike Coleridge and preserves a typical real life image of the conflict. The image was engraved in situ on 400 pieces of variable sized, triangular South Australian Imperial Black granite. Eighty-one one meter photographs were stuck on top of two layers of sandblasting tape and, in a very delicate operation; an engraver's tool was used to cut through the photographs and two layers of tape without touching the stone. The exposed stone was sandblasted to a depth of 1 mm to create the grey effect and the tape was then removed, leaving behind the image.

The northern stele has fixed to it a series of quotations in stainless steel lettering. The designers originally suggested half a dozen quotations which they thought would add to the interior and lessen the impact of blank walls. The committee agreed with the idea but wanted more than six so they called for suggestions from veterans and from the many submissions selected 34 which preserve the language and slang of the war. No attribution for the inscriptions is provided on the wall as the assessors felt that this best served the sense of the consistent and equal value to be placed upon each quotation. Each letter is made of 3mm gauge stainless steel, 65mm high using a Futura typeface.

The inner wall of the southern stele is left as plain unadorned concrete and functions as a site of personal contemplation, separate but not divorced from the specific memories recalled by the other walls. In front of this wall and off centre of the entire internal space is the 'Memorial Stone' - a monolith of black granite, which functions in part as an altar, in part as the earthbound component of the contemplative inspirational function. The inner space or podium is tiled in black granite and is bounded by a moat.

Sealed within one of the stones of the ring is a scroll bearing the names of the 508 Australians who died in the conflict.

In the landscaped turf area surrounding the central building there are three concrete memorial 'seats' At each end of these memorials is the name of one of the six Australians recorded as Missing In Action.

These two central figures represent two Australian soldiers facing the east and the rising sun, and represent the importance of support and comradeship represented in the Australian term, 'mates'. They wear the distinctive Australian slouch hat that carries the 'Rising Sun' badge. The figures stand on a raised podium paved in a radial pattern which refers to the Army insignia. Seven pillars represent the seven major conflicts in which the Australian Army was involved during the 20th century. They are surrounded by water, symbolic of the long sea journeys involved in Australian campaigns.

“Touched by Fire” written by Kenny Laughton. Derek Walsh the artist, who served with 8 RAR in Vietnam 1969-70, has put his talents to good use and created a moving and memorable mural recognizing Australia’s involvement in the South Vietnam from 1962 to 1975. His mural is a dedication of many hours of painting, years of research and particular attention to accurate details. It features the 508 young Australians who are recognized as our war dead, as well as the seven civilians also killed. Many objects will be familiar to most of us, every Corps featured with incidents and major battles also depicted.

After his tour of duty, Derek tried to return to his other life as a graphic artist, without success. His mind kept taking him back to Vietnam and the haunting scenes he witnessed. His mind continually flashed back to an incident when he discovered the wallet of an enemy KIA contained a picture of a wife, or loved one, someone who would mourn his loss. Diagnosed with PTSD, he was eventually granted a TPI pension. During a PTSD clinic at the Adelaide Repatriation Hospital the psychologist advised Derek to put his views onto canvas as a form of therapy. After some early sketches that featured just a few of the 508 it developed into a larger work. This picture was not meant to be seen outside of his closest friends, but those who were given the opportunity begged Derek to continue this work, so that from a canvas 21 inches by 36 it grew into 12 panels that bolt together to measure 11 meters, that is still a “work in progress” that shows our involvement in Vietnam.

In the year 2000 Derek went to the United States and stayed for 3 months travelling around with the exhibition. Visiting Washington DC on Memorial Day, Rolling Thunder and all the US Veterans who we met really made us feel welcomed. The amazing thing was that the majority of Americans did not even know Australia was involved in the war. The Australian Ambassador opened the display and later gave an Embassy dinner to our group. Years later we are still in contact with many of those Veterans from that first week in the USA.

Goldy, his horse, his dog, my friend and a true Vietnam Vet. "Together Forever"

Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. and The Veterans Coalition visited the Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Peter J. Forbes, National Commander along with "Touched By Fire" artist Derek Walsh.