LETTER TO AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS
[Your Address]
[Date]
Insert the name of your
Local Member of the House of Representatives
. . . HERE . . .
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Or write to the Minister
Assisting the Minister for Defence who is currently:
The Hon Mrs D. M. Kelly
Parliament House
CANBERRA
ACT 2600
Or write to any other
politician, government official or concerned citizen who may be able to help.
Dear Sir (or Madam):
AUSTRALIAN SERVICE
PERSONNEL WHO WERE EITHER KILLED IN ACTION OR MISSING IN ACTION, PRESUMED DEAD,
AND WHOSE BODIES WERE NOT RECOVERED DURING THE VIETMNAM WAR 1962 TO 1972 OR
SUBSEQUENTLY
[Your Introduction]
I am of the opinion that
more could be done to achieve full and definitive accounting for the six
Australian servicemen who were either killed in action or missing in action,
presumed dead, and whose bodies were not recovered during the Vietnam War or
subsequently. (I have attached the particulars of the six men for your
information.)
Regarding this issue I
believe that we as Australian citizens have a moral obligation to the following
groups within our society:
·
the servicemen themselves, the ones who were lost;
·
most importantly but not exclusively, to families of
the missing men;
·
the current force who stand ready to protect our way
of life; and.
·
all ex service personnel who have faithfully rendered
service, especially those who served along side the subject individuals.
Since the early eighties
there have been significant advances in the technologies associated with body
recovery operations and the United States of America has shown what can be done
towards achieving full accounting. Since 1992, 21 % of the US servicemen who
were missing as a result of the Viet Nam War have been recovered. It can be
done because IT HAS BEEN DONE. More recently, and closer to home, the remains
of Mr Neil Sharman an Australian citizen, who was taken prisoner by the Pathet
Lao September 1974 while travelling down the Mekong River, were recovered and
have now been returned to Australia.
It is respectfully suggested that our government
immediately initiate a more active approach to fully and definitively account
for these six men.
Specifically it is
requested that a formal approach be made to have our six cases actively investigated
by the US Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. Regarding such an approach to the
Americans, it may be worth noting that in the case Parker, Gillson, Herbert and
Carver, they were killed while operating in Australian units that were tasked
directly by American formations. On such grounds, perhaps the Americans could
afford some priority to these cases.
The government has put
considerable forensic resources into the identification of the victims of the
Bali bombing, and rightly so. Further resources have been applied generously to
the investigations regarding the loss of civilians in areas affected by the
recent tsunami and no doubt forensic resources will be needed for many years to
come. Why is it that we are not prepared to make some sort of effort to fully
account for the six men from Viet Nam?
I trust that you will
see fit to support all efforts to fully account for these six men to achieve a
favourable and honourable outcome. Hopefully one day soon, the government will
see fit to support the families of these servicemen, as it has done for so many
‘civilian’ families in recent times.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
[Name]
THE SIX MEN
213963 LANCE CORPORAL PARKER, Richard Harold John
1ST BATTALION ROYAL AUSTRALIAN
REGIMENT (ARMY)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 8 NOVEMBER 1965.
DURING 1965 – 1966 1ST BATTALION
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT FORMED THE THIRD BATTALION OF AN AMERICAN FORMATION,
THE 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE (SEPARATE).
37857 PRIVATE GILLSON, Peter Raymond
1ST BATTALION ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT
(ARMY)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 8 NOVEMBER 1965.
DURING 1965 – 1966 1ST BATTALION
ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT FORMED THE THIRD BATTALION OF AN AMERICAN FORMATION,
THE 173RD AIRBORNE BRIGADE (SEPARATE).
2787344 PRIVATE FISHER, David John Elkington
3 SQUADRON SPECIAL AIR SERVICE
(ARMY)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 27 SEPTEMBER
1969.
044310 FLYING OFFICER HERBERT, Michael Patrick John
NO. 2 SQUADRON (RAAF)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 3 NOVEMBER 1970.
AT THE TIME OF HERBERT'S DEATH NO.2
SQUADRON ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE WAS PART OF THE 35TH TACTICAL
FIGHTER WING, UNDER CONTROL OF THE USAF 7TH AIR FORCE.
0119223 PILOT OFFICER CARVER, Robert
Charles
NO. 2 SQUADRON (RAAF)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 3 NOVEMBER 1970.
AT THE TIME OF CARVER'S DEATH NO.2
SQUADRON ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE WAS PART OF THE 35TH TACTICAL
FIGHTER WING, UNDER CONTROL OF THE USAF 7TH AIR FORCE.
3170244 LANCE CORPORAL GILLESPIE, John Francis
8 FIELD AMBULANCE (ARMY)
KILLED IN ACTION ON 17 APRIL 1971.
This
page was last updated on Tuesday 8 February 2005