Mr MORRIS (Mornington) (09:49:49): On Monday, like many in this house, I had the privilege of participating in my local Remembrance Day service. This year, of course, was the 101st anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I, an important milestone in itself. A separate service was also held to formally dedicate a new memorial to those who served in the Korean War, which has become known as the forgotten war.
But given the scale of the conflict and the Australian commitment, we should indeed remember it and we should honour those who served. At its peak more than 1.6 million North Koreans and Chinese and 600 000 UN troops were engaged. Between June 1950 and July 1953, 17 000 Australians served in Korea, 340 paid the supreme sacrifice, a further 1216 were wounded and 29 became prisoners of war in the most horrendous circumstances.
A direct connection with the war was provided by the presence of Colonel Alan McDonald, who served in both Korea and Vietnam, while another local veteran, Alan Wardley, was represented by his wife, Greta. The memorial was initiated by the RSL Memorial Park Subcommittee, chaired by Colin Fisher. My congratulations go to Colin and his team, to the Mornington RSL and its president, James Farquharson, and to the Korean Veterans Association who also contributed to the construction.
This is a worthy addition to Mornington’s Memorial Park and a fitting reminder of the service and sacrifice of Korean War veterans on behalf of this nation.