Thank you for this opportunity to publicly express my sincere thanks to all the folk who sent me messages of congratulations via letters, telephone calls, texts and social media on being awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the 2020 Australia Day Honours list.
I apologise if I missed anyone personally.
I also thank the referees who supported the nomination.
I am very honoured and humbled on this occasion and am reminded that I share this incredible honour with my wife Yvonne, my friends and especially with my entire family including eight grandchildren.
The catalyst for achieving this award is the ongoing fight to gain recognition for some 3,000 Vietnam veterans who have been denied official recognition for their war service due to bureaucratic ineptness.
I hope to use this platform to create more awareness about this inconceivable oversight.
In receiving this award I am also humbled to be among so many great Australians who have outstanding achievements in so many fields.
My cheeky eleven year old grandson said, “Pa, only old people get these awards.” I replied, “Harry, I am old!”
Richard Barry OAM, Narrabri
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