Narrabri recipient of the Order of Australia Medal in the Australia Day honours, Richard Barry, said he was humbled to receive the honour and plans to use his OAM to further his fight for recognition of Vietnam National Service veterans.

“There are 3020 National Service veterans who fought in Vietnam who have yet to be officially recognised by our government” Mr Barry said.

He was a Vietnam National serviceman in 1969.

Mr Barry’s advocacy for Vietnam veterans has been ongoing since 1969.

He aims to ramp up his campaign and is seeking support for his ‘lobbying and agitation’ on behalf of the veterans.

Last year Mr Barry sent a 40 page submission to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Darren Chester and to the Secretary Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Liz Cosson seeking answers to ‘unanswered questions that need to be addressed as to why 3,020 veterans have been overlooked particularly when there are precedents in less deserving cases.’

In a letter widely circulated canvassing support for his mission, Mr Barry said “some 3000 National Servicemen, then members of the Australian Defence Force, were not issued the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal for active service in South Vietnam during the Vietnam Campaign, because they were returned to Australia before completing 181 days ‘in country’.

“Their return was through no fault of their own, as their period of obligatory National Service under law was about to expire.

“This failure to be awarded the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal disrespects these National Servicemen and dishonours their service rendered according to obligation.

“They do not believe that it was ever the intention of the South Vietnamese Government to deny the RVCM to people caught up in this ‘qualifying’ trap, who had done their duty in support of South Vietnamese forces honourably and to the fullest, according to law.

“The Australian Government should exercise its ability to make this good.”

Mr Barry’s OAM citation encompasses his service to veterans and their families, and also to the Narrabri community. He is well known in Narrabri Shire for his engagement with local schools, RSL sub branch and community groups, but has been actively involved in community bodies during his tenure in other NSW centres in his working career as a senior executive at the State Bank.

Mr Barry is an author, with several books written and published, and a historian, and in recent years researched and compiled Centenary of ANZAC: Narrabri and District NSW 1914-1918, the unique collection of their stories and photographs of men who enlisted at Narrabri and served in World War 1.

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