The most honourable of deeds

A NEW interactive exhibition depicts Australians at war with new realism at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

Audio slideshow presentation

Rudd opens war memorial exhibiton
February 27, 2008
MORE than half a century ago, Corporal Ray Parry fought against a wave of Chinese soldiers in the Korean War.

Tonight, Corp Parry looked on with other veterans as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd launched an exhibition featuring his story at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

"Conflicts of 1945 to today,'' which has been six years in the making, honours more than 130,000 Australians.

One of the stories told in the exhibit is that of four soldiers from the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment, including Corp Parry, who fought at the Battle of Kapyong in Korea in April 1951.

The battle, which was instrumental in halting a 337,000-strong Chinese offensive that threatened Seoul, is portrayed in a diorama as part of the exhibition.

Corp Parry, now aged in his 80s and who also served as a commando in World War II, received a military medal in 1952.

Mr Rudd, whose brother Malcolm is a Vietnam veteran, said he considered service in the defence forces the most honourable of deeds.

I believe there is no higher calling in our nation's life than to serve the nation in uniform,'' he told an audience including former Australian Defence Force chief, Major General Peter Cosgrove, and Victoria Cross recipient and Vietnam veteran Keith Payne.

"The military life summons forth the most elemental of human virtues: service, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, courage, determination, endurance - and all given shape by an old fashioned, some might say unfashionable but I for one do not, patriotism.''

Mr Rudd said he had visited many war memorials worldwide, and Australia's was the best.

"For Australians this is a place of raw emotions,'' he said.

"It's impossible to leave this place and not be moved by it - a deep sense of loss, a deep sense of pride and, yes, also a deep sense of hope, as we walk silently past the names of the fallen that their sacrifice should never, never be in vain and that our duty to them is to remain forever vigilant.''

National security was the cornerstone of the nation, Mr Rudd said.

"That is why, while we must cut our costs to beat the economic circumstances of our time, we must ensure that those charged with the planning of our future defence can do so with absolute certainty,'' he said.

Last week, Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced senior bureaucrat Michael Pezzullo would head a new White Paper on defence, due for completion by the end of this year.

- AAP

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23283211-31477,00.html