Mark the date in your calendar and think about how we can recognise, honour, and support war widows we know.
The Riverland Vietnam Veterans Association has paid tribute to local war widows with a commemorative luncheon held in Renmark last month in recognition of National War Widows Day.
Marked on 19 October, War Widows Day is a day of remembrance that recognises the sacrifices and contributions of generations of war widows and widowers. The Riverland event marked the first War Widows Day luncheon held in the region.
More than 20 war widows and their families attended the gathering, alongside representatives from Legacy and the Renmark RSL. The event provided an opportunity for reflection, connection and recognition of the enduring contributions of war widows to the veteran community.
Local Vietnam veteran and event organiser David Langdon described war widows as courageous, resilient and the unsung heroes who held families and communities together after the war.
“Surviving Vietnam War veterans deeply admire the war widows in our communities for their courage and resilience,” Mr Langdon said.
“They cared for and stood by our brothers in arms. We veterans who served in war and survived, want to salute and thank war widows who served on the home front, raising families and holding communities together long after the war ended. They are unsung heroes.”
In a symbolic gesture of remembrance, the Australian flag at the Riverland Vietnam War Veterans Memorial in Berri was lowered to half-mast in honour of war widows and fallen veterans.
A touching moment also came when the Honour Roll of Passed War Widows was read aloud, remembering six local widows who had passed away recently.
Fellow Vietnam veteran and event organiser Roger Edmunds expressed appreciation for the support of ex-service organisations to the local veteran community.
“We take this opportunity to thank the ex-service organisations and friends of veterans, such as the Australian War Widows Inc, Legacy, RSL, Partners of Veterans and Families of Veterans, for the great work they do throughout the year to ensure we do not forget the sacrifices of Australia’s defence force veterans and their families,” he said.
War Widows Day was introduced in South Australia in 2023 and in 2024 was introduced as a national day of recognition to honour the sacrifice war widows have endured and the legacy they carry on.
Looking to the future, Mr Langdon encouraged the community to consider how they could take part in next year’s commemorations.
“Mark the date in your calendar and think about how we can recognise, honour, and support war widows we know,” he added.
Lest we forget.
