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April 21st, 2013 
Peter Nolan
Updated
A new memorial to honour World War II veterans who fought along the Kokoda Track has been unveiled in Melbourne’s Dandenong Ranges.
A special wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Kokoda Memorial Wall this morning honouring the 624 Australian troops who died in the initial onslaught, as well as the Papua New Guinean guides who supported the troops.
Victoria’s Environment Minister Ryan Smith says it is important to honour the people who served on the Kokoda campaign, and that the story be shared for generations to come.
“There’s been a lot of work go into this and the soldiers and battalions associations have put a lot of work in in conjunction with Parks Victoria,” Mr Smith said.
“I think there’ll be a lot of emotion about what it means to them, but also a real sense of achievement that they’re able to tell this story for all Australians and people who visit that park.
“It’s such a popular park that it’s a great opportunity for people to come as they be with their families or do their fitness campaigns, to also get a sense of the contributions that these Australian soldiers made.”
Topics:
world-war-2,
veterans,
defence-and-national-security,
mount-dandenong-3767,
melbourne-3000,
vic,
australia
First posted
Source Article from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-21/kokoda-troops-honoured-by-new-memorial/4641838
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