Concerns over Defence Minister delaying posthumous VC for Vietnam soldier
Australian SAS Association Chairman Martin Hamilton-Smith discusses the Defence Minister’s delay in awarding a posthumous …
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April 26, 2025
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"Harmony in Every Heartbeat
Australian SAS Association Chairman Martin Hamilton-Smith discusses the Defence Minister’s delay in awarding a posthumous …
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Typical labor government.Can anyone in Australia see any of these labor pollies running into a battle like this brave man did? Shame on Marles.
Labor doesnt like Australian heroes.
Labor have no respect for veterans. Just look at the clear contempt labor has for the Australian people in general.
If the VC dates from the Vietnam War surely a lot of people have been delaying for a very long time not just by the current minister.
Your story is factually incorrect and your invited guest is incorrect also. Relying on sensationalim, but this is Sky News. This is an upgrade of a medal PTE Norten was awarded for his actions in South Vietnam in 1968. You miss this subject totally.
PTE Norten received the DCM for his actions – The Distinguished Conduct Medal, which in the then order of awards at the time was the next medal below for gallantry after the Victoria Cross was awarded to him. At the time he was assessed as being awarded the DCM was sufficient.
The then Governer General NSW Roden Cutler VC remarked when he awarded Nortens DCM if this didnt warrant a VC what did or words similar. Which I think is the basis of the upgrade of the DCM to VC.
Your guest stating there was a quota is correct and you can thank the then Army Minister Malcolm Fraser for backing this. PTE Norten was awarded his DCM under this quota, he was NEVER DENIED A GALLANTRY AWARD.
I hope this gets up but FFS be factual.
If any of the keyboard warriors want to have a go and doubt what I have typed. I'm an Australian soldier still serving after 32 years service and more than happy to engage. Be accurate or dont report at all Sky News.
Time for Australia to drop the VC as it's highest award. Australia has an appalling record for handing out medals, awards, citations, certificates etc. like confetti compared to those other countries who have retained the VC.
The reputation of the VC was established over the past 170 years primarily through it being rarely awarded, and almost always always immediately after the action concerned. I can think of only one justified delay, that of Lt Cdr Gerard Roope, who was awarded his in 1945 for an action in 1940, when the German Naval officer responsible for sinking his ship made the recommendation after he was captured and interrogated.
A lot of people seem to think that an Australian VC is awarded against the same standards as those applied in the UK, this not correct. The award decision is made wholly in Australia, and while it is true a committee in London reviews the award, this is just a 'rubber stamp' procedure. Can you imagine the diplomatic/political row that would occur if a a bunch of Brits, sitting in London, refused to endorse an award to an Australian that has already been approved by the Australian PM; just won't happen.
Australia's evidently lower threshold for making this award is undermining certainly the UK's, and quite possibly Canada's and New Zealand's award of the same name, design and manufacture. Time for a SC – the Sothern Cross – a truly Australian Award. This was what South Africa did after leaving the Commonwealth. Indeed the award that replaced the VC in South Africa, despite years of fighting in places like Namibia and Angola, was never awarded, even though the the requirements for its award were almost identical to the VC which it replaced. I suspect if South Africa had applied the modern Australian VC standard, they would have awarded several dozen between leaving the Commonwealth in 1961 and the end of apartheid in 1994.
Do you know how many Victoria Cross recommendations get turned down? Do you realise how many requests for posthumous Victoria Cross have been put in? Some have been going on for decades.
Just get on with it Marlee, you Donkey.
Why do clown hosts always interrupt guests, do the ignorant fools realise the whole world isn’t about hearing their voice
Richard Marles is pathetic as a person and a politician.
They have cut down the army’s lethality by reducing the number of IFV by 300 (they are only receiving a quarter of what we have now and will be out gunned and out manoeuvred by any opponent we may face in the future) but to be fair I hope that the criterion and diligence in the investigation for the awarding of a VC remains as high as it always has been, the top brass has manipulated the criteria for other awards so they can award it to themselves.
This one though is fifty years to late as well
Yea, the problem is that the labor leftoid,s are that stupid.
Gutless cowards don't like to recognise the bravery of true heroes.
no evidence of war crimes? theres footage of it
The bloke is dead. He was awarded a DCM at the time. The act most definitely should have been awarded a VC, but to blame the current government is stupid partisan politics.
Marles is incompetent and a disgrace in his role as a defence minister. Sitting in his office with the only risk is a paper cut, he has no respect for those who put their lives on the line.
My facts maybe be wrong. How many VC’s have been awarded while a Labour Government has been in power.
Scumbag gutless government we have.
It took the govt to acknowledge my service and give me a medal 30 years after the event!,,,,,
Labor Govt, say no more!
What else would you expect from a politician whose toughest day is probably when he has to decide what red wine to drink at our expense.
He only care's about the abo's. You wouldn't have a job Mr Pettifluer if our brave aussie men and women didn't protect this country doing remarkable act of saving. omg no proper gg to sack the gov what an abomination over just sign the bugger off. How embarrassing
Disgraceful would not happen in any other country but here.
This is like the 2 year delays with DVA
more proof off why u probs dont want to serve in the army this was happening in past you think anything has changed lol feck those governments let them send their kids off to war 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕 i wont fight for them NOW!!!!!
Why have a "No Nothing" pussy lawyer as
Our Defence Minister ?
Never had a job in his life.
Never produced anything in his life.
Just another fucking bullshitartist lying lawyer.
This labor gov. is the worst in my life time and the people should not vote for them or the greens. University students and unions would have to be some of the most anti military people you would come across.
The Australian government has always been lousy ,when it comes to awarding any thing to soldiers. Quotas give me a break.
As this is a VC, I wouldent be surprised if the delay has something to do with the Ben Roberts-Smith affair, and the ministers dont want to get associated with anything to do with that.
Labour are anti defence….always have been, always will be. Union affiliated postal workers refused to process the mail going to our troops serving in Vietnam.
The problem may be that Marxist Marles doesn't like patriots.
Marles wants to pin it on Albo
The award should have been made .
Marles is to interested in travel & Golf
Veterans are soon forgotton. Nothing has changed in 100 years.
TYPICAL COMMUNIST LABOUR…..
Labor so anti Australian they would rather take medals back than give them out to our heros
Our diggers turning in their graves because of our disgusting politicians
If the men that were there say he deserves a VC he absolutely does then.