W3 Company - News

Remembering ALL Our Fallen

on-going project - collecting photos of all our
deceased veterans headstones

displayed against their name on the Company roll - see examples 

scan and email the photo here 
[do close-up photos for best detail]

link to more news beginning January 2014 - news archive

2014 Vietnam Veterans Reunion - webmaster [24 December 2013]
The 2014 EVSA Vietnam Veterans Reunion will be held at Rotorua over Queens Birthday Weekend (NZ) May 30, 2014 to June 2, 2014.  EVSA has booked rooms at the Sudima Hotel.  Registration is $180.00 per person which includes lunch Saturday, reunion dinner Saturday, lunch and dinner Sunday.  You can pay by instalments.  Full details in the EVSA Contact.

Annual membership subscription fees of $20.00 are due at the end of December - use the account: 02 0400 0504697 00

I have notified the official website administrators and will post further when I have their response, in the meantime feel free to do your own checks [see Schwass, Shields, Portland, Perawiti, Mahoney, Heywood, Thompson, Rimington...]

UPDATED:  Gareth Phipps at Vietnamwar.govt.nz has accepted that there is an issue - "Thanks for drawing attention to this.  I sourced the date of death [DOD] information from http://nzvietvet.bravepages.com/rnzir.html (up to late 2000s) and the Last Post lists in the EVSA newsletter.  These errors may have occurred during the redesign of the Vietnam War website.  As part of this process we re-uploaded new versions of our veterans’ pages – this is when the date of death  errors may have occurred.  I’ll go through and check the DOD details for all units against those listed on the BraveHeart website."  [research for the BraveHeart website, a detailed resource for identifying deceased NZ Vietnam veterans, has been done voluntarily for many years by Victor Johnson ex-Pl Sgt V3]

Kia kaha Merie and Pancho from Pancho's people in W3

UPDATED - Duke will be in Hawkes Bay for his mum's 90th birthday the first week of December, the function will be held at the Taradale RSA and Duke is interested in meeting mates so email him for timings.

PUBLINTICAS Pancho Kenyon - webmaster [30 October 2013]
Mark Binning advises that Pancho has almost reached 'awakey', perhaps a couple of weeks only.  Bill is struggling to converse and was hospitalised for a seizure last Friday but was expected to be allowed home today.

If Pancho is able, he will be at the Taradale RSA this Friday 1 November at 5PM for a final drink with the veterans community.

Bill, Merie and a grandson

Merie is coping as well as can be expected and is hoping hospice space can be found for Bill to have some palliative care.

From the Taradale RSA 1 November 2013 - Mark Binning
Three photos from a get together for Bill Kenyon at the Taradale RSA.  Bill looking much better than when I visited him at the weekend.  Les Nissen, Roger Greenaway and Danny Campbell turned up, and Fred King and wife were also there plus many of the other local Vietnam Vets community. Bills brother Bruce (ex RNZN) came down from Wairoa.

[L] Fred King and Roger Greenaway, [C]  Bill with brother Bruce, [R] Danny Campbell

"Notwithstanding how uncomfortable the authors of this Bill might be about the notion, people and groups of people, from time to time engage in orchestrated war-like acts and countries go to war to impose, or to defend, their National policies.  The battlefield is a brutish unforgiving place, whether it is hundreds of miles in extent, or just a one-on-one encounter between two fighter pilots or two soldiers trying to kill each other.  Whatever the scale, it changes those who are involved forever.  Some die and all the others are affected in one way or another.  The debt owed by the nation to those of our young, who do its bidding in such affrays, is great.  It is discharged in part by the creation of a pension system to compensate the dependents of those who die and to assuage the hurts of those who survive.  The 1954 War Pensions Act was written by folk who understood first-hand what that means to the young men and women directly involved.  Indeed, it was enacted by a Parliament of veterans for veterans.  It has generally served us well over these past 60 odd years.  But, the time has surely come to review it in the light of other legislation and to ensure that it continues adequately to serve its purpose.

The proposed `improvements' framed by this Bill, were written by a gentleman and some ladies in grey suits: it shows.  It is hundreds of pages long and fails to zero in on the heart of the matter.  The banal and soothing references to "interest groups", "stakeholders" and suchlike, do not come even close to adequately framing the kill-or-be-killed maelstrom that is a battlefield.   Certainly, there is some value in seeking to identify some of the less lethal actions and events in which their participation might qualify our servicemen and women for a War Pension.  It is however, entirely counter-productive to preface such descriptors with a list of so-called `hazards' that might be encountered by a mailman on his morning rounds.  When the WPA 54 was introduced everybody knew what `action', `active service' and `operational service' meant.  Arguably in these times of `civil disturbance', and `peace keeping' and such like, there is value in further defining degrees of lesser threat that might entitle those involved to a War Pension.  But, in this Bill the question begging to be asked is, "less than what"?  Without specifying the primary, worst case scenario, for entitlement to the pension, the rest becomes pointless.  Or maybe that is the point. 

Perhaps this draft Bill is just a carefully crafted subterfuge to dispense with a War Pension altogether.  By defining a range of common or garden circumstances which it is apparently intended to address, and to which half the population is routinely exposed, the need for a special pension becomes less compelling.  Then, the shifting of a large part of the administration of the act to ACC, quickly tidies the way for it to be dispensed with altogether.  If this contention seems far-fetched, please take a moment to examine the substance of the Bill.  Strip away the tinsel and feel-good flannel that fluffs it up and take a good hard look at the kernel within its 258(?) pages.  In my interpretation, the Bill proposes to reduce the pension that is specifically intended to discharge the duty of care owed by the State to the young men and women it has employed to do its bidding, by something in the order of 75%.  When first introduced in 1915 and subsequently revised in the mid 1940's, the War Disablement Pension was a payment to which qualifying veterans became entitled free and clear of all other considerations.  They earned it with their blood sweat and tears and it was delivered to them by a grateful nation free of tax or any other encumbrance.  It had no bearing on any other State support (such as the Unemployment Benefit) to which a recipient might from time to time also be entitled.  At the time, a full War Disablement Pension represented a significant proportion (about half) of the average wage. 

This Bill starts from the premise that the replacement Veterans Support entitlement should be based on the compensation for the same hurt payable under ACC together with an increment to reflect the operational service component.  However, our servicemen and women are required to pay an ACC levy from their base pay, just like any other New Zealander.  And, ever since the outrageous subterfuge perpetrated on those serving in Vietnam, they continue to pay taxes (and now the ACC Levy as well) even when committed to a war.  With that contribution to the state coffers, they buy insurance against accident, just like any other New Zealander.  Should a soldier on active service in Afghanistan suffer a bee sting (or any other of the trivial nonsenses provided for in the Bill), the Veterans' Support component of any compensation due is proposed to be just 10% more than that paid to a chap delivering mail in Remuera.  And poof, just like that, the War Pension has vanished.
That which is presently around 80% of an ACC payment would be reduced to 10%.  This seems to me to represent a 75% reduction in the real value of the War Service component, or am I missing something? If not, why is such a morally indefensible reduction not being condemned by all who are concerned with the welfare of future veterans?  Since they have already bought the cover, service personnel should be entitled to the same ACC compensation as everyone else, irrespective of where in the world their service to the State has resulted in their being killed or injured.  In addition, and as a totally discrete entitlement, service personnel killed or wounded on active service should continue to receive such payment as properly reflects the State's special duty of care for those it has knowingly put in peril.

Why is such a simple solution not on the table? I return to my posit: the objective is not to update the War Disablement Pension. The objective, it would seem, is to eliminate it altogether.  Such a goal was hinted at by The President of the Law Commission when addressing the road-show meeting in Rotorua.  His pursuit of a one-size-fits-all ideology was relentless.  He went a step too far, when appealing to the appetites of the "have-nots", he suggested that the Travel Concession would be better eliminated, with the `savings' then being shared amongst all.  (Yeah right).  Another thread in the fabric of his argument was his determination to eliminate the payment of any more than 100% of the value of the WDP.  He has achieved this with the incorrect claim that a 120% WDP was supposedly reflective of an illogical 120% disablement.  In fact it is to reflect entitlement to 120% of the value of the pension; which is quite different.  Even so, with very little challcomment on the enge, the concept of `whole of body' percentages has been built into the Bill and will see a significant reduction in the frequency with which future veterans can gain more than a basic pension.  This will be cheaper.

There are many matters of detail in the Bill with which I would take issue.  Before addressing these, I would very much welcome some feed-back from those who would challenge my point of view."

Submissions on the Bill close on 25 November 2013 [the standard 6-week period from when the Bill was introduced on 15 October] and the Committee is required to report back no later than 27 March 2014.  Submissions can be made to the Committee in person, by on-line form, or by mail [two copies required] to 'The Secretariat, Social Services Committee, Select Committee Services, Parliament Buildings, Wellington 6160'.

What now..?  The parliamentary process starts with the introduction of the Bill [its first vote] and then proceeds to the Select Committee stage where submissions on the provisions written into the Bill are examined and recommendations for change considered [public submissions included].  The Select Committee chair must within 6-months [or the Bill lapses] send the finished report back into the House where each clause of the Bill will be debated and changes introduced by way of Supplementary Order Paper [SOP - don't get confused].  Shortly thereafter there is a 3rd vote [a formality] by the full house after which the Bill is sent to the Governor-General for the Royal assent.  At this point it becomes an Act of Parliament [i.e. law].  Not all provisions in the Bill have universal support so there will be submissions to the Select Committee and progress on Parliaments Order List can be delayed by other more pressing matters but I expect the Bill to be law before the 2014 General Election.

We Remember - 482859 Pte Tom Cooper RNZIR 3Pl - webmaster [9 October 2013]

Tom was wounded 10 October 1970, dying of his injuries on 11 October 1970 at 24 Evac Hospital US Army Long Binh.

His body lay in state for three days on the Te Awamarahi Marae [Tuakau, Port Waikato] before, on the Maori Queen’s orders, being buried in the Royal Graveyard [Tainui urupa] on the sacred Taupiri Mountain above SHW1 in the Waikato.  Tom’s sister Liz recollects that her brother was buried with full military honours including gun carriage and graveside volleys by soldiers from Papakura Army Camp. 

EVSA is also advertising the 2014 National Reunion in Rotorua 30 May - 2 June 2014, enquiries to Danny McCort or 07 345 3643

Double Risk of Leukaemia for Vietnam Vets - webmaster [14 September 2013]
This article is about a recent University of Otago study into mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand Vietnam veterans.   The study aim was to observe the patterns of mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand Vietnam veterans.  The study objectives were to assess whether the patterns of disease observed were consistent with those associated with military service in Vietnam, and similar to the patterns identified in other groups of Vietnam veterans.  There is more to the story than first revealed so you are encouraged to read the three main releases and subsequent comments linked below, particularly the report on insecticide use in Nui Dat:

• University of Otago Mortality and Cancer Experience of New Zealand Vietnam War Veterans: a historical cohort study which surveyed 2783 [84%] of the 3322 veterans identified from service records.  The results are published on the British Medical Journal website.
• Press release from the Australian Associated Press [APP] as forwarded by the Vietnam Veterans Federation Australia [VVFA] concerning the findings of the University of Otago study; see below.
• Summary of a study into the misuse of dangerous insecticides in 1ATF by Vietnam veteran and professional historian John Mordike.  The backdrop to the study is reflected in this extract from the report [note the date]:  "In August 1970, the Officer Commanding Detachment 1 Field Hygiene Company at Nui Dat realised that very serious errors were being made with the use of insecticides.  He brought his concerns to the attention of Headquarters 1st Australian Task Force (HQ 1 ATF), Nui Dat.  In turn, HQ 1 ATF wrote to Headquarters Australian Force Vietnam (HQ AFV), located in Saigon, with the advice that: ‘All insecticides/pesticides containing DIELDRIN are to be withdrawn from issue, as in the Hygiene Officer’s opinion the use of this chemical in any form is dangerous to humans.' 

1. Remarkably, the realisation in August 1970 that the Army’s supply policy was wrong produced no changes in the issue and use of Dieldrin, Chlordane and other dangerous insecticides at Nui Dat. The same insecticides were used again without restriction in 1971.  However on 22 May 2001, delegates from 120 nations, including Australia, signed an international treaty banning twelve of the world’s most dangerous chemicals. The dangerous chemicals were described as ‘persistent organic pollutants [which] are among the most dangerous of all manufactured products and toxic wastes which cause fatal diseases and birth defects in humans and animals’.  Dieldrin was one of those chemicals, Chlordane was another.

It is the VVFA viewpoint that the answer to why Australian and New Zealand Vietnam veterans have a 91 per cent higher incidence of chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) than the general public may be due to the way insecticides were used around the 1ATF base at Nui Dat, a view I subscribe to and which appears to be the missing link in the Agent Orange debate by veterans.  I also recommend reading this link for a New Zealand context before downloading the report.

Comments are welcome - please send here

AAP - NEW Zealand's Vietnam War veterans are almost twice as likely to suffer from a common form of adult leukaemia as the general public, a new study has found.  The Otago University study found veterans, who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals including Agent Orange when deployed in Phuoc Tuy province, have a 91 per cent higher incidence of chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL).  CLL is one of the most common forms of leukaemia found in adults, particularly older adults, and is rarely diagnosed in children.

The university research analysed medical records of 2783 of the 3400 New Zealand military personnel who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. It found 0.5 per cent of them contracted the cancer, compared with an average of 0.26 per cent within the general public.  "The incidence of leukaemia is interesting," lead author Dr David McBride told AAP.  "The Australians and the New Zealanders appear to be the only group of veterans that have shown this excess." 

Many Australians and New Zealanders fought in the same area during the Vietnam War and Dr McBride said chemicals known as Agent Orange or other pesticides used in certain areas could be the cause. Scientists made the link between pesticides, including Agent Orange, and CLL during studies on farm workers exposed to the chemicals more than 10 years ago. Despite this, scientists can't pinpoint exactly what causes the increased incidence of this cancer without information about individual exposure, five decades ago. "It's a time and place associated with the disease, and therefore there must be something about it," Dr McBride said. "But we're not sure exactly what it is." The study also found lung cancers claimed the most lives in both New Zealand and Australian Vietnam veterans. However, when it came to overall deaths, the mortality rate of the former New Zealand military personnel was 15 per cent lower than the general public. Dr McBride says this is due to something called the "healthy soldier effect" which arises from the selection process of military members. "This is related to the fact that this cohort would have been selected for its health and fitness," he said.

Comment 3: Noel Benefield 1ALSG - I have been involved with this research for some time after having difficulty understanding the evidence given to the Sir Paul Reeves inquiry:

• the record of 1ATF Nui Dat stores issues supports the insecticide report findings.  Dieldrin was first issued in September 1968 until September 1970 suggesting that the concerns raised in August 1970 had been acted upon.  Prior to September 1970 receipts/issues records support claims that the application rate was increased at times.  The 1971 record is starkly different with receipts and issues balancing themselves, and lower application rates suggesting more control of Dieldrin during this period.  It was reissued from Jan to April 1971 which is consistent with the claims in the study of renewed application.   
• The logistics information is based on an Australian Army HQ report into the use of insecticides by 1ATF in Nui Dat released early 1982 [quoting logistic records for chemical issues from the 1ATF store in Nui Dat - this report is available from the Australian Parliamentary Archives].  The Army report was then released in Parliament in Canberra in December 1982 as the Sinclair Report but a copy was forwarded in April 1982 to New Zealand Army HQ [copy held in NZ Archives] but never given to the "Reeves" or "McLeod" inquiries and it's first official use for exposure claims was during the Ottaway and Seymour presentation to the 2005 Select Committee on Agent Orange [the Reeves Inquiry was however given a shortened political version of the Army report 'Pesticides and the Health of Australian Vietnam Veterans]. 

Comment 4:  John Coleman W1 - as Hygiene NCO for W1 I was ordered to dispense all the chemicals you speak about in Nui Dat W1 lines and the Horseshoe, using Swingfog. No dilution, instructions or protective gear was available. If you require any more information please do not hesitate to contact me.

Comment 5:  Rex Barron V3 - The suggestion that Aust. Veterans have nearly twice the incidence of CLL (leukaemia) is erroneous as a quick look at the 2003 army study will verify.  There is a slight but significant rise in CLL but nowhere near the 91% claimed. The NZ scenario is slightly different.  Maori and Pacific islanders have CLL incidence one and half times that of Pakeha.  The Otago study used the general population cancer stats as a benchmark whereas the veterans have over twice the percentage of Maori than the general population..........therein lies difference.

Comments are welcome - please send here

NOTICAS FATAL 41731 Pte Neville Arthur HOWELL RNZIR 2Pl  [29 August 2013]
Neville [Nev] A HOWELL 1RNZIR W3 SVN passed away during the night 28 August 2013 after a long and successful fight against liver cancer - he was given 3-6 months to live in October 2012.

The funeral will be held Tuesday 3 September 2013 2PM at Beth Shan Funeral Home, 157 Georges Drive, Napier. Nev's family have requested veterans to wear medals.

[updated] There was a large gathering for the funeral with around 40 veterans including this group from W3: from left: Ngatoko Kupe, Nigel Glifford, John Nicolle, Fred King, Dave Gundersen, Mark Binning, Don Wolff, Bill Kenyon and Evan Torrance.

Tribute by Sunray C/s 5:  The following verse was written by Neville's grand–daughter Kelly Stevens of Brisbane.  She was present at the funeral but didn’t get the opportunity to recite it during the service.  It was shown to me after the funeral and I found it particularly poignant as Neville was one of our radio operators, the phonetic alphabet and radio communication jargon is used and “Uncle Charlie” is referred to - although not the Uncle Charlie (Viet Cong) we knew but Wayne (Charlie), Neville's twin brother who died some years ago - Evan Torrance

Tribute by Sunray C/s 52:  Being overseas I was unable to attend Neville’s funeral and I sincerely regret that.  Neville was a very professional and competent Pronto who was always prepared to go that little bit extra to get satisfactory communications.  Equally important he was a true team player, who related well to others and was a very proud W3 Company member.  I understand that even in his last couple of days with us he was concerned that he had not been able to reply to some phone calls and emails from his W3 mates.  His personal qualities were exemplary – always caring, honest, moral, tolerant of others and hardworking.  Not a day passed in SVN when he did not mention his beautiful wife Rhonda and how much he was looking forward to getting home to her.  Obviously this love and devotion from Day 1 helped sustain their long and fruitful relationship.  Neville Howell – a soldier and true gentleman – I will miss you.  Bob Upton Sunray C/S 52   [Bob and Neville had a significant point in common - they were both married to a Rhonda and at one time named a FSPB after their spouses]

PUBLINTICAS - webmaster [19 August 2013]
Mark Binning attended Vietnam Veterans Day in the Hawkes Bay and caught up with Fred King and 'Pancho' Kenyon and family. 

Sad news is Neville Howell is in hospital and not doing very well.  Expectation is that he is nearing the end. 

Pancho finished his treatment in Palmerston North Hospital but there appears to be further small tumours growing since his initial surgery.  Talking to Merie she feels he may only have a few months to live.  Both facing up to the inevitable in good spirits.  [also see this article]

War Pensions Bill Update - webmaster [7 August 2013]
Following is an extract from Hansard "Questions for Oral Answers" Parliament 30 June 2013.

Iain Lees-Galloway [Labour]: "When will he recognise the contribution of New Zealand soldiers in that conflict and others by finally introducing the legislation to implement the Law Commission’s recommendations from its review of the War Pensions Act, which his predecessor Nathan Guy promised would have been done long before now?"

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE [Minister Veterans Affairs - National]: "As the member well knows, that is a very complex piece of legislation and it is 59 years old. The Government has made decisions about the replacement of that Act, and work is under way right now to introduce the Bill. The Prime Minister has made a commitment, which we certainly support, that the Bill will be implemented in this term of Parliament, and I stand by that commitment."

Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE

A summary of the proposed changes was posted in October 2012 - click here to read

PUBLINTICAS - Jim Cutler for the Knife - webmaster [5 August 2013]  Update - Jim is recovering very quickly from the surgery
Jim Cutler is booked for back surgery [laminectomy (spinal stenosis) at L3/L4] on 28 August at Mercy Hospital Dunedin.  Afterwards he hopes to try out for a rugby team [that would be an impressive improvement..!].  Jim received funding for the operation from Veterans Affairs and encourages other veterans not yet registered with VANZ to make the effort and enjoy the spoils...

NOTICAS FATAL 40425 Lcpl Tony Moran Coy HQ - webmaster [23 July 2013]
Anthony E Tahi Tima (Tony) MORAN ex 1RNZIR 1963-65, 1RNZIR 1967-69 and 1RNZIR 1969-71 Malaysia, V4 and W3  SVN, passed away at Christchurch on Monday 22 July 2013, aged 69.  His Funeral Service is to be held in the Paparua RSA Hall, 38 Kirk Road, Templeton, Christchurch, on Wednesday 31 July 2013, at 1330 hrs.  Tony is survived by his children, Rick, Anthony and Juleen.  please send tributes here.

updated 7 August:  The gathering for Tony Moran’s farewell was held Wednesday at the Paparua (Templeton) RSA attended by Tony’s family, children, and his brother and sisters.  Tony's surviving brother Bob Christie along with his sister-in-law Bev – Sam Christie’s widow travelled from Dunedin.  Veterans from Vietnam, Borneo and Malaysia were in attendance, and  Tony's lodge were also represented, one commentator remarking "Tony’s farewell was a mixture of Christian beliefs, Maori protocol, and those of the Lodge blended in with the traditional military farewell. Not bad at all Tony, given that you wanted to be buried without any farewells at all".  One of the Borneo veterans remembered that "Tony liked to travel around the country once he retired from the Army, always travelling light and just turning up at different homes with a briefcase of his Lodge gear, a change of clothing, toilet bag and towel, ready to take on the world with his infectious smile." [hattip VVnet]

Dave Wright remembered with a Bursary in His Honour - webmaster [1 July 2013]
The EVSA [Neville Wallace Memorial] Children's and Grandchildren's Trust accepts up to three applications from veterans children [including step children] and grandchildren, for assistance with costs toward personal development.  Advice has been received from the Trust that David Wrights family have given permission for the next bursary awarded to be named in David's honour.  As at 10 April 2013 the Board has awarded 424 bursaries to the total value of $186,649.00 and twenty of these bursaries' have been designated in honour of individual veterans from the Vietnam Roll of Honour.  We will remember them..!

Why not have your children check it out..?

link to more news from before July 2013 - news archive