Group wants a fair go for Nashos

A NEW organisation is seeking recognition and medical support for the men who were conscripted under Australia’s National Service scheme during the Vietnam War but did not serve in a war zone.

Nasho Fair Go describes itself as “a voice for the men Australia forgot” .

“Nashos” who served in Vietnam between 1965 and 1972 automatically receive a Veteran Gold Card from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) when they turn 70, which covers them for clinically required medical treatment in Australia for all medical conditions.

Nashos who did not serve in Vietnam are only eligible for the Veteran White Card, which covers them for accepted service-related injuries or conditions and all mental health conditions (for veterans with continuous full-time service or certain reserve service), as well as cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Nasho Fair Go president and former Nasho Geoff Parks said his group was “endeavouring to obtain justice for the remnants of the 48,000 men who have received no thanks, recognition, benefits or reparation for the two years of their youth that were taken from them” .

“These are ‘The Men Australia Forgot’. This group has had no other effective representation until now.

“There has been a widely-held view in society that only Nashos who went to war zones came back to civilian life with serious problems relating to their military service. We are collecting many stories from our members which disproves this.”

One of these stories is from an Armstrong Creek resident in his 70s, who fell from a helicopter during Nasho training and landed on his back. He has undergone several operations since then but has not received any compensation.

“These are accounts of lives that have been adversely impacted by their service: romances broken, careers ruined, friendship groups lost, survivor guilt – when mates went to Vietnam and were killed or injured – and the experience of trying to adapt back into a world that had moved on without them,” Mr Parkes said.

He said Nashos who did not serve in Vietnam could receive a DVA Veteran Supplement of at least $6.40 a fortnight “although most Nashos don’t even know about it” .

“That successive governments have ignored this situation for more than 50 years is a disgrace. Why? We are a small group – we represent only 5.5 per cent of the men who turned 20 in the years of conscription.

“We ‘copped it sweet’. It was considered unmanly to whinge in the ’70s and no-one wanted to know anything about our experiences. The country was well and truly over the Vietnam War by then. It seems that only the loudest voices got heard. We are now going to speak up at last.

“We want to reach out to every Nasho who did not serve in a war zone. At the very least, we want DVA Gold Cards for all of them. It would only be fair after all this time.”

For more information, head to the Nasho Fair Go website.