Sea King Down II
Luke McIlveen, intrepid anti-defence campaigner attacks under the headline – No medals for victims, RSL says.
Makes me wonder what Gen McLachan was on about. Surely the General’s staff would have done some research.
“There is no automatic entitlement – and nor should there be – that just because people die they should receive a medal. The fact they died in an accident like that does not suggest anyone was brave.” Under official awards guidelines, the Sea King victims are likely to qualify only for the Australian Service Medal, an honour bestowed on every soldier who serves overseas.For a person who is never likely to be awarded any medal I take umbrage at Luke’s downgrading of the Australian Service Medal with the rider…likely to qualify only for the Australian Service Medal. If we put the emotion of the event aside then RSL national president Bill Crews is correct. Luke McIlveen doesn’t suffer any defence-positive thoughts as witnessed by a quick “Luke McIlveen” Google and he has proven very adapt at finding negatives in any defence-related issue. I have posted on this guy before when he chose Armistice Day 2004 as a day to put down on defence and he’s still at it.
In a strange twist, Mr Crews said the Indonesian villagers who pulled two survivors from the Sea King’s wreckage could be more eligible for awards.How is that strange? The Indonesians who ventured into a crashed fuselage, minutes before it exploded into a fireball to save lives are simply that, brave, no twist needed. Those who where simply passengers or crew and were forced by tragic circumstances to follow the unfriendly forces of gravity were not demonstrably brave. They were simply victims.
Debate raged yesterday over whether Governor-General Michael Jeffery should have bestowed more than a sprig of wattle on the nine flag-draped caskets when they arrived at Sydney airport earlier this week.Debate raged where? I saw it as very symbolic and very Australian. Ray Brown, the President of the Incapacitated Service Persons Association (ISPA) has a lot to say but he does have a barrow to push as well. I have no problems with people like Ray Brown but know they can be relied upon to state they are not happy with benefits from defence related injury. That is the basic tenet for their existance as an association. As in “He would say that, wouldn’t he? The ISPA is mainly about service people injured in training in Australia. The Nias Nine were killed overseas and benefits to dependants will be different. Ray Brown goes on to say;
“It was disgusting and embarrassing that the Indonesian President presented our dead with medals and all we could manage was a sprig of wattle.”A letter to the Editor of the Australian puts that into perspective.
Soldier’s lonely return 07 April 2005 WE have just witnessed an inspiring and deserving return of the nine service personnel killed in the helicopter crash in Indonesia. Unlike my experience in 1971 when returning from Vietnam, as a draft conducting officer, with the undraped coffin of a soldier killed in action in the cargo hold of the chartered Qantas aircraft. And how I sat beside it alone at 1.00am in a deserted Sydney air freight terminal for over an hour before a contracted undertaker arrived to receive it for on-freighting, without ceremony, to his home state. Lest we forget. Graeme Manning North Hobart, TasOverall, Luke has done well. He has found a malconent spokeperson and asked questions of the National President of the RSL to use as a base for a beat-up. I’m only surprised that Luke didn’t raise the issue of the age of the Sea Kings to demonstrate how a hated Howard led government has condemned service people to death by forcing them to fly in an old chopper. Speaking of which Paul Couvret, a former Sea King Air engineer officer, has a piece in this morning’s Australian. Readers confused with the issue of new versus old equipment may like to read Paul’s words. His is a voice of reason clearly, to me anyway, promoted by a desire for the facts to be aired rather than for someone, preferably the government, to be be blamed for murder and or kicked out of office. The Victorian RSL, via Major General David McLachlan, suggest a Humanitarian Medal might be the go. General McLachlan is the President of the Victorial RSL and by virtue of holding this position, is on the executive of the national body chaired by General Crew. There wll may be a case for medals for service people, or others, killed while serving overseas but the fact remains that under current regulations there is no means of awarding people medals for simply dying. The honour bestowed on these young men and women resides in the memories of those left behind and will be immortalized on marble somewhere at some time in the future. A piece of metal, in the form of a medal, will no way enhance this fact. UPDATE: Having posted all of the above I now note that Chief Bastard, in a post on the matter, notes there already is a Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal.
Makes me wonder what Gen McLachan was on about. Surely the General’s staff would have done some research.
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Kev. I could not agree more with your comments. The matter of the ‘medal’ is becoming and will remain an emotional one for some time. I note that NineMSM are running a poll on the issue with a loaded question at this [emotional] time with the results at 10.06 AM running even but with over 6,000 votes cast.
I would say that the more important issue for the Govt is that they get right the matter of entitlements etc for the families. The previous Minister did not cover herself or the govt in glory in addressing that very issue. I note however that the Opposition have already started to run on that one.
Why is it that these thing become so political even before the families have had the chance to lay their loved ones to rest?
Take care,
Kel
I agree Kel.
Sadly, there are more political votes than not in the introduction of a medal. Look at the recent plethora of new medals.
Why not a new medal for the “heroes” of the cricket and athletics grounds too?
test 123
It appears that the provisions of the award of the Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal preclude it being awarded to members of the ADF.
Pity, it would otherwise seem to fit the bill nicely, and silence the critics.
Yes, the awarding of the HOSM is basically for NGO’s and government department employees, ie AusAID staff. The only real requirement is that the government gazette it’s awarding. It’s the most appropriate option, just stipulate a task force and it’s members, and voila’. Why people seem stuck in the military honours sytem is strange, seeing as the CDF has permitted awards from foreign countries to be worn by serving members. The HOSM is an excellent award for these situations.
I agree with Kev.
This is am emotive issue. However the fact remains these blokes were just doing their job and in fact it would be no different than say, delivering supplies to a flood bound Charleville. The only difference is that it happened overseas.
I would be more impressed if the media were to cover the inadequate compensation and ongoing financial support the widows will/will not receive to replace their poor dead husbands. I am sure that they too would agree that you can’t chew on a medal.
Fair enough, the Indonesian President is entitled to award them with what he wants to. But it is not a bloody competition. A month down the track the media will not want to know. And the poor old widows and dependants will be scratching their heads in total frustration with having to deal with an uncaring beaurocratic system.
Wattsy
I seem prescient in light of recent events and declarations by the Government to award the HOSM to the victims of the Sea King crash, and also the task force members deployed to Aceh and Sumatra.