75th Anniversary of VP Day commemorated with month long campaign

Veterans and their families across the Hilltops region are being encouraged to take part in ‘One Month To Remember VP Day’, a month long online campaign commemorating the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP Day).

VP Day, marking the end of the Second World War, is this Saturday, the 15th of August and the campaign calls for veterans and their families to share their stories of service online during August.

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said, “The Second World War saw every human being in this country do their part in the defence of Australia, which means there are thousands of stories to share. I want to encourage everyone to share these, whether they are videos, pictures or stories on social media for this special 75th anniversary tribute using the hashtag #VeteranStory75years.”

Acting Minister for Veterans Geoff Lee said Second World War veterans are still living with us today and this campaign is about ensuring we capture their stories to tell future generations. “We are living through a once in a lifetime pandemic right now and our nation also lived through a horrible conflict no generation should ever experience again,” Mr Lee said.

“We must not let COVID-19 get in the way of honouring our veterans’ service to our nation and by encouraging people to share their stories digitally, we will create a lasting legacy. Revealing their war experiences is a special privilege we are so grateful for and our online collection of stories will eternalise their memories for future generations so we don’t forget their sacrifice.”

The NSW Government is compiling a digital stories catalogue from WWII veterans and widows. The catalogue will be continually updated over the coming months and is available at https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/nsw-stories/theme/75th-anniversary-stories

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• Steph Cooke