4 Field Regiment (SVN) 'Old Boys' Newsletter - February 2011 Edition

Bob Lowry has asked that I advise our members and please pass to the Gunner Community and friends that his biography of General Sir Phillip Bennett (CO 1RAR at Coral SVN 1968) is now available from Big Sky Publishing and will be in the bookshops in the next two weeks. Title: The Last Knight: a biography of General Sir Phillip Bennett AC KBE DSO, Big Sky Publishing, Sydney. *********************************************************************************** A bloke walks into a brothel and says: "I'm a bit kinky, how much for total humiliation?" The madam replies $60. "Wow, what do I get for that," he says. She says: "A baggy green cap and an Australia shirt. (Compliments of Bob McEvoy but the team have restored some credibility in the one day series). ************************************************************************************ An article by Ian Stiles JP, Ex 3 SAS Sqn Vietnam 1966-67, 1969-70, C Sqn Rhodesian SAS 1973- 75 The Australian Government (John Howard) was lead by the US into following the Americans stance “we will deal with our own “War Criminals” not the Hague”. The US does have “War Criminals” that it has protected in the past. We do not have to go back as far as Lt Calley of My Lai Vietnam era to find them. Captain Rogers of the USS Vincennes who murdered nearly 300 Iranian Civilians when he shot down an Airbus in 1988. During the first Gulf War General Barry McCaffery in charge of the US 24 th Division allowed his men to continue firing for 4 hours after the cease fire was called on an Iraqi troop convoy killing thousands of Iraqi Soldiers destroying 750 vehicles including a bus load of women and children. There were instances in rape and murder by US troops in Iraq. There have been thousands of civilian deaths and many “Blue on Blue” incidents by trigger happy US Forces in Afghanistan. All have been protected by the US Government. Australians have not committed such war crimes (to my knowledge) and if they did they should be tried by an international court. The Hague is not interested in the accidental death of civilians by our troops, they are only interested premeditated murder, rape or robbery. By adopting an American style military justice system the Australians are abetting the US justice system of protecting US war criminals. The 3 young Australians were accused of killing civilians at night in a firefight in Afghanistan after an enquiry they were then acquitted by the Australian military. But Lyn McDade wanted to show the world that Australia was “just” . The 3 unfortunate young men have been set up as examples to the world that we have adopted the US system so therefore the US system is the “right system” It is not the Chief of the Defence Force nor the Chief of the Army’s fault that they did not have a war to fight as young officers. Joining the Military after Vietnam they spent many formative years behind a desk, firing blanks or flying a helicopter in peace time. If these senior officers had have had frontline experience when they were young officers. They would have advised the Government and Lyn McDade that charging these young soldiers was wrong, that accidents do happen in war and these soldiers will bear the burden of killing these innocents for the rest of their lives (as I well know). Hopefully in the not too distant future we will have some people in high command of our Armed Forces that have been in a fire fight earlier on in their career and I am sure with this experience they will be more sympathetic to the guys on the ground, and be able to advise their political masters accordingly. Like many Vietnam era people, for oblivious reasons, I am very conscious of the way our serving members are treated, especially young veterans. We do not want what happened to us, happen to the young guys of today. I sent this to the Australian before Christmas and it was not published but it created a stir behind the scenes. :"The Australian" < letter@theaustralian.com.au> Received: Saturday, 18 December, 2010, 4:05 PM