It will be the end of an era when the Nambus sets off on its final journey to the Vietnam Veteran’s Museum based at Phillip Island in Victoria in January next year.
For the past 30 years, the bus, fitted out as a museum with Army, Navy and Air Force memorabilia and manned by volunteers from the Gosford Branch of the Vietnam Veterans’ Association, has travelled to schools all over NSW, educating students on the Vietnam War and Australia’s military involvement.
But with the association’s membership ageing and a shortage of qualified volunteers, coupled with rising touring costs, the bus is to be donated to the Victorian museum, with Coasties having two last chances to inspect it before it heads south.
On Saturday, December 17, a farewell will be held at Diggers Ettalong Beach and on January 14 the bus will be dispatched from the Coast at a special ceremony at the Vietnam veterans’ memorial on the Ettalong foreshore.
Vietnam veteran Gordon Lawson has been a member of the Gosford Branch for 14 years and President for the past three.
He has been involved with the Nambus as a driver and volunteer for the past 13 years.
“In that time we have visited 367 schools from Western NSW to as far north as Kempsey, as well as in Sydney, Hornsby, and of course all over the Central Coast, “Lawson said.
“We have spoken to more than 39,000 students and the bus has also served as a static display at 130 local shows, fetes and events.”
The current bus is the third iteration of the Nambus.
The first, a former state transit vehicle, was obtained from the NSW Government with the help of then Member for Gosford, Marie Andrews, in the early 1990s.
In 1998 it was replaced with a second vehicle, which was in turn replaced in 2004 with the final vehicle when Nambus 2 became unroadworthy.
“The kids absolutely loved it when we visited the schools,” Lawson said.
“The bus has everything from ration packs to dog tags, the bandages we carried in our packs and weaponry.
“We would explain to the kids what each was for and share our experiences and the climate at the time with them, including explanations of conscription and Agent Orange.
“We would set up tables around the bus as well, with things like uniforms, caps and other items as an interactive display.
“The kids could dress up in the clothing and we ran military drills with them and had lots of interactive activities.”
Branch Secretary Lorraine Scott, whose husband Peter is also a Vietnam veteran and has served as a volunteer driver on the bus, said the program had been a huge success over the years.
“Some of our volunteers are in their 80s now, including Leo Lees and Jack Chalker, who have both been actively involved with the Nambus for many years,” she said.
“They and others would answer questions from the kids such as why they joined up and would tell about their battle experiences.
“I remember one youngster asking one of them what had been his worst day.
“When he replied ‘I watched my best mate die’, I could hear the shockwaves among the children.”
The final farewell will be held at Diggers Ettalong from 10am-1pm on Saturday, December 17, with interested people able to look through the bus.
On January 14, the bus will be blessed by the local padre and formally decommissioned at the Vietnam veterans’ memorial on the Ettalong foreshore at 11am, with the bus available for viewing from 9am.
It will depart the Central Coast on January 15, with two overnight stays en-route to Phillip Island.
Terry Collins