AFTER A 50 YEAR WAIT, “NASHOS” FINALLY GET THEIR DEFENCE MEDALS
Many Australian Nashos are celebrating a landmark moment, finally receiving their Australian Defence Medal and Certificates of Service almost 55 years after completing their military duties.
The recognition is the end result of long campaign that began when a member of Nasho Fair Go began the fight to secure his right to the medal through the legal appeal process.
The Certificates of Service followed through advocacy from Nasho Fair Go working in partnership with senior Defence personnel to find a solution to what had become a decades-long ‘discharge dilemma’.
“We cannot thank and express our appreciation enough and despite the passage of time, receiving these medals and certificates is a deeply emotional moment for the men involved,” said Mr Geoff Parkes, founder and President, Nasho Fair Go, Australia’s only nationwide association representing servicemen conscripted between 1965 and 1972.
“All are old men now who have waited decades for this type of thanks and recognition.
“It may seem a small token but it is profound recognition of the disruption imposed on their lives. To see the tears of joy from them, all now in their mid 70s to early 80s is tremendously moving.”
National servicemen or “Nashos” most of whom were 20 years old at the time, boosted the Australian Army by around 30% during the 1960s-70s at the time of the Vietnam War.
Conscripted through a lottery system and compelled to serve, 63,000 Australian men faced jail if they refused.
In December 1972, the then-Whitlam government ended conscription, giving then serving Nashos the option to leave the Army.
WIth no legal mechanism, the Federal Government processed these exits under Section 35(B)(5A) of the National Service Act issuing discharge certificates on the grounds of “exceptional hardship”.
It was this offensive phrasing and the inference it implied that prompted years of anger and emotional distress for the affected Nashos who had served Australia so effectively.
“For many of us, despite the passage of time, it hasn’t been easy to come to grips with this seismic disruption in our young lives,” said Mr Parkes.
“This recognition is finally providing comfort and peace in the final years.”