Luke McIlveen, intrepid anti-defence campaigner attacks under the headline – No medals for victims,
RSL says.
“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, Tas
Overall, 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.
The NZ Memorial Cross
I hereby suggest that Australia adopt a Memorial Cross as soon as reasonable procedures allow. It should be part of the Australian Awards system.
It should be awarded in the name of ANY Australian service person on active duty, accidentally killed at work, on humanitarian missions and on Peacekeeping missions. It should not apply to Service personnel killed in accidents away from work. It should not apply to former Service personnel who died after service.
The fact that death is required to qualify would keep the possibility of “eligibility creep” at bay.
I would like to see back-dated to 1 Jan 2001 and no further.
I would appreciate feedback.
WW1 Death Plaque
Maybe there is a case for Ted’s idea, although, like Ted, I am loath to afford the Kiwis merit. 
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