Dennis Jensen (Tangney, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I congratulate the RAAFA museum, Bull Creek, on its latest addition. Under the directorship of Mr John Park the museum has gone from strength to strength. In a public ceremony, I recently unveiled an acquisition of a Huey helicopter. I have written letters in support of this project and campaigned on its behalf many times in the past. Iroquois helicopters, dubbed Hueys, played a crucial role in the Vietnam War. This Huey was trucked from Damascus barracks in Queensland across the Nullarbor. This particular model is one of the last of its kind in Australia and was used for Australian Defence Force training in the 1970s. Many man-hours were required to set up the outdoor display area. This civic consciousness and selflessness embodies what is best in our community. More than the story of a helicopter, albeit an impressively versatile one, is the story of the men who once occupied her cockpit. It is the story of young men and their troubles in a foreign land, fighting for something of unclear importance or closeness to them. As important an object as the Huey is, it is more important as a permanent bridge to the past and to memory.

See this speech in context