When Australians were sent to the battlefield of the Vietnam War their individual terms of enlistment meant that some of them would not be awarded the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (RVCM).
With Anzac Day having come just before the election, both Labor and the Coalition stand to benefit from making an early announcement that under their government these veterans will now also be eligible to be awarded the RVCM.
The people concerned were mostly conscripted and, at the behest of our government, served with honour and distinction during the Vietnam War. They had spent at least 60 days but fewer than 181 days on active service in South Vietnam, when they reached the end of their term of enlistment, without having any obligation to voluntarily extend it. This meant that they did not reach the timebased ‘criteria’ to be awarded the RVCM, as did their longer-serving comrades.
As such, some 2,500 or so, mainly ex-National Service and possibly some other veterans, have been cruelly denied this Medal over many years; even in the face of overwhelming community, veteran and bi-partisan political support, including from senior members of the Australian Vietnamese Community. They were almost approved to receive this medal just before the last election; but have since again been denied it.
It was due only to government neglect that this unanticipated circumstance led to their ‘ineligibility’ for this Medal. Had the government engaged with the Republic of Vietnam at the time, there is no doubt that it would have agreed to recognise and avoid this circumstance. (Senator Paul Scarr, 2023).
Equity and fairness demand that this be fixed, but a lack of empathy and a grudging unwillingness has stood in the way of doing so for far too long. There is more than enough lawful scope to make an apolitical Determination to rectify this situation.
The election campaign gives both contender governments the opportunity to display true bi-partisanship and respect for veterans and to promise to make such a Determination as soon as they have been elected.
Let’s all call on them to do it. Lest we forget.
Bert Hoebee,
Waramanga ACT
