The other day I received conduct records regarding my father’s
service in the Australian Army. He was a career soldier – starting as a Nasho
(National Serviceman) and then going through peace keeping in Korea, the Malay
Emergency and later in Vietnam working with US Special Forces and then with the
Army on home soil. He would always tell of the time a US Colonel came up to him after a particularly
hard battle in Vietnam and declared
that my father would be awarded a US medal for his part in it. My father
told the Colonel to piss off. Like most Aussie soldiers they didn’t do the job
for medals and they sure as hell didn’t care for clean skinned,
never-out-in-the-field officers pouncing about. Nah, he didn’t get the medal
and he never regretted his words
Anyway, I requested the records from the Army due to accusations
I consider slander. As expected the records didn’t indicate much at all in his
30 year history. In fact it was only between 1954 and 1957 that any charges
were filed against him. Not so bad for a kid from the slums who had been smacked
around by the local cops who told him to go into the Army or else. He went –
naturally. What were the charges for? Things like not wearing the right hat or uniform
or turning up late. I think of the man he would have been back then – 21 years of
age, fresh from the slums of Sydney, a fighter, a survivor and someone who would
turn out better than anyone expected.
As for the slander? Greed, jealousy based and un-Australian
and I will not countenance it.
Surrender? Don't be bloody silly, we're Australian…
I cannot surrender. I am in command of Australians who would
cut my throat if I did.
Not lip service, nor obsequious homage to superiors, nor
servile observance of forms and customs...the Australian army is proof that
individualism is the best and not the worst foundation upon which to build up
collective discipline - General Monash.
**Photo is my father outside the Nee Soon Barracks in Singapore 1958
(serving with 3RAR)
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