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 tragedy in Indonesia gives pause to an otherwise successful humanitarian mission in Aceh and now Nias. Bastards Inc has good coverage as does The Currency Lad

Loosing these service people, a group that would unarguably fit into the category of ‘the cream of our youth’, is devastating and underlines the fact that the services operate on the edge and will, from time to time, come to grief.

Already, pundits are attacking the Howard Government for maintaining the aging Sea Kings in service.

PRIME Minister John Howard today defended Australia’s use of the ageing Sea King helicopter, as the nation prepared to bury nine Australians killed when one of the craft went down in Indonesia.

“Defended Australia’s use…” comes from an ABC interview trying to get mileage from the tragedy before the bodies are even recovered.

Neil James has an article in todays Australian that comes down fairly heavily on the Government for not replacing the Sea Kings. Neil James has an extensive military background but demands a perfect solution in a non-perfect world.

Someone has to make the decisions as to what equipment is replaced and when and obviously priorities are placed on certain aspects. The tank drivers want the latest tank, The Fleet Air Arm – the latest helicopters, the fighter pilots – the latest jet, even truck drivers want the latest truck but everyone can’t have everything. Compromises are made and a balance is sought.

I’m not suggesting that the debate shouldn’t happen, just that it should happen in a different venue and at a different time.

By all accounts the Sea King is a good aircraft albeit the initial air frames, power plants and avionics are 70s based. Of course, this ancestory has little to do with the aircraft currently deployed on Kanimbla. I think you will find they will be like Grandads axe my father gave me. It’s had numerous handles and heads over the years but it’s still Grandads axe.

All types of people with differing agendas will come to the fore over the near future and the likes of the ABC will pursue any story for it’s anti-Howard potential but what we should remember is this.

Australia has lost nine highly qualified and dedicated people serving in very trying circumstances to help others in need.

The flow-on of the feelings of dread and emptiness goes well beyond the immediate families. It includes the crew of the Kanimbla, their families, the service society generally and all those who hold dear the efforts of the Defence Forces.

If you have ever basked in the recent praise of Australia’s humanitarian efforts in Indonesia then remember, it is due to the untiring efforts of these people.