Let’s make it official

These were attached to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the Deniliquin Waring Gardens, and the No. 7 Service Flying Training School Memorial at the Deniliquin Airport.

Representatives from the Deniliquin RSL Sub-branch and Edward River Council gathered on Thursday around the “marble Digger" in the Waring Gardens as freshly manufactured bronze service emblems were fitted by DP Jones Kyabram to the base of the statue.

First unveiled in 2014, the memorial is dedicated to all Australians – including 59 local soldiers – who served in the Vietnam War and to the memory of those who lost their lives.

RSL Sub-branch president John Harris said they “felt it was time” to get the proper bronze service emblems fitted before registering the memorial.

“The sub-branch sees the Vietnam Memorial as a most important memorial that honours all Vietnam veterans and more, especially those members of the Deniliquin and surrounding districts who served,” Mr Harris said.

“Veterans also see the memorial as a tribute to the community that provided the very important love and support that they received while serving.”

Council CEO Phil Stone said it was a fantastic day, and that council was very proud of Deniliquin's RSL veterans.

“As someone who has only come into the community a few years back, this community really commemorates and honours its veterans,” he said.

“Well done to all of you, this is a great step forward.”

Mayor Peta Betts said she thought the bronze emblems looked “absolutely fabulous”.

“We owe so much to these people to have proper commemorations in place, and I think it's really important moving forward,” she said.

“It's a part of history and it's a story that needs to continue to be told.”

Earlier that morning, across town at the airport, the final plaque was fitted to adorn the 7SFTS Memorial.

Installed and officially unveiled only last year, the memorial pays tribute to the members of the flying training school who lost their lives while stationed here during World War II.

RSL Sub-branch member Tom ‘Sarge’ Cheeseman said while used by the community for commemorative services, neither marker is officially registered as a war memorial.

“It's what the sub-branch is working towards, so this can be registered as an official war memorial for the Edward River Council region,” he said.

“We'd like to get these registered because of the significant role they played during the war years.”

Speaking of the airport memorial in particular, Mr Cheeseman said it would not exist without the research conducted by Margaret Jefferies and Denise Thomas.

The pair are behind a multi-year project on the history of the Royal Australian Air Force training school and how it contributed to Deniliquin society.

Starting independently, they have since combined their efforts with the Deniliquin Aero Club to set up a series of commemorative displays.

One is permanently located inside the airport terminal, in front of which the memorial stands.

“With the Second World War, people just don't realise how big this establishment was out here and what it did for the town,” he said.

“I know even talking to some locals in town, they never knew there was a training school out here. They had no idea.”

Mrs Jefferies said there were “always between about 1400 to 2000 air force soldiers” at the training school during WWII.

Now these emblems and plaques have been fitted, the Aero Club and RSL Sub-branch will register the respective memorials with the NSW War Memorials Register.

“Once registered, we can apply for grants and what we will do on special occasions is fly the Air Force and the Australian flags either side of the memorial,” Mr Cheeseman said.

“Up until it's registered, we can't simply go and do that ourselves.”