An Essay by Ginger Mick, explains why we the Grass Roots Diggers are required to do whats necessary to get our just, fair and legitimate entitlements! “The Fort” Those who live Closest to the Fort “Ginger Mick” (a perspective) Well I suppose this little essay had to get written one day and it might as well be now. It starts off with a little bit of American cultural history and ends up on the never-ending battle for disabled soldiers rights, via a bit of a rough track so hang on tight. There will be some who won’t like this essay at all, but that’s too bad. Back in the days of the American Wild West we all know that the US Army (Cavalry) established a network of forts throughout the frontier country. Initially of course these forts were erected to provide safety from attack and a secure depot for the army to operate from. As time went by, and things became more peaceful and the surrounding country became more settled, these forts became an outpost of government agencies as well as private enterprise supplying the civilian population with goods and services. The forts also became the distribution centre for government “handouts” to the local indigenous population, the Indians. Items such as food and blankets were distributed from these forts for the sole use of the surrounding Indian population. Back in Washington of course all the politicians felt a warm inner glow knowing they were doing the humane and dignified thing for the Indian population by giving them this aid. But as we all know, things are not that simple. Of course the aid was not reaching those who were distant from the distribution centres, and so the blankets ended up in the possession of those Indians who lived “Closest to the Forts” and not those living outside that immediate inner circle. This situation created the saying “Those Who Live Closest to the Fort” to describe a social disposition. Nothing changes and history tends to repeat itself. Accordingly we can all identify the exact same situation running through our society in various forms today. This brings me to the subject of those who “Live Closest to the Fort” here in Australia today and their relationship to veterans that are not members of the fort society. But just before we get right up to speed on that, let’s do a little backtracking in our own history as veterans in this country of ours. Lets go back to the very early 1980s for a start, which was a very disturbing time for Vietnam Veterans. It was a time when the RSL turned their backs on the Vietnam Veteran to such an extent that the Vietnam veterans went their own way and founded their own organisations. This was a grass roots movement initiated by the Diggers themselves, not from the Brass. The central motivation primarily revolved around the questions concerning Agent Orange, and it was the Diggers who raised the whole issue. Not only did they have to confront the government of the day, but they also had to deal with an arrogant and elitist RSL as well as the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (then known as the Repatriation Department.) It was indeed a brave undertaking by those dedicated individual veterans at the time. Not only had they to struggle against those who should have been supportive, including the government who sent them there in the first place, but they also had to watch in horror as Ministers of the Government repeatedly assured Parliament that Agent Orange was never used by the Australian Forces in Vietnam. At the same time, every soldier and officer who had served there knew this was not correct. In light of more recent events in Australia’s Parliament of late, it all begins to sound rather familiar, does it not? But back then in the 1980s, where were our military Brass at this time? These career officers who commanded Australian battalions and squadrons and companies in SVN knew quite well that these statements by the politicians of the day were simply not true, but being good career officers, they sat on their hands and said nothing. These officers could quite easily have put their hands up and shot the entire Government argument down in flames. But they chose to remain silent, allowing their soldiers to carry the can and fight the fight. But by this stage of course these officers were living “Close to the Fort” and were becoming quite used to their blankets. We had ex Vietnam Battalion Commanders and Company Commanders who by this stage had Red Hats and Red Tabs on their uniform, and who were quite prepared to turn their backs on the troops in their time of need. So the precedent was set, and with this background we can also identify some common thread existent today with veterans’ claims for a fair go. Many of those with the Red Hats, have now retired, and moved on to other positions in civilian life which are also “Close to the Fort”. You see them popping up from time to time in the various organisations that supposedly represent the concerns of the Veterans. Even some who did not originally have Red Hats have moved into positions that allow them to rub shoulders with the rest. They will be National Presidents or National Secretaries of this or that group. It does not matter, as they are close to the fort and quite happy with their blankets and trinkets. Even those who once represented fierce opposition to the Fort dwellers have allowed themselves to be embraced into the inner circle. And so it is that a couple of these individuals have recently been overheard trying to disrupt attempts by concerned TPIs to gain justice for their mates. No names and no pack drill, as we used to say, but it doesn’t take much to get a fix on the people involved. I guess the bottom line is that the Diggers in the front line can expect absolutely no help from those living Close to the Fort. Don’t expect those harking from the leafy suburbs of our capital cities to have the slightest idea of the difficulties faced at the front line. Don’t expect any help from these camp followers who on a regular basis get to put their snout in the public trough provided by Canberra. Many of these individuals in the past have been flagrantly self-seeking and self-serving as well as self-promoting, and there is no reason to imagine they have changed one little bit. Quite the opposite. If anything, they have only managed to crawl closer to the Fort. But at the end of the day, it is you, the digger on the ground that will win out. It is you who have the public cheering you on and supporting you, and it is you who have got yourself a life. It is you who will be most self content within, and it will be you who enjoy the fruits of your labour. But you already know all that, and that’s why you put your hand up in the first place. As for those other individuals, be they small in numbers, they have yet to get a life. Sadly, life passed them by, the day they were born.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 06:31:36 +0000
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