Anzac Day veterans on lookout for war medal wannabes

WAR veterans and self-appointed “guardians of the rack” will be on the lookout this Anzac Day for anyone wearing medals they haven’t earned.

No exceptions ... the people behind the Australian and New Zealand Military Impostors, wh

WAR veterans and self-appointed “guardians of the rack” will be on the lookout this Anzac Day for anyone wearing medals they haven’t earned.

Every April 25 dozens of military wannabes mingle with genuine veterans bathing in the reflected glory of their service, sacrifice and hard won medals.

The Australian and New Zealand Military Impostors (ANZMI) website carries 312 examples of people who have either worn medals they have not earned or worn non-military medals incorrectly.

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One high-profile example involves Queensland RSL State President Terry Meehan, who wore a Western Australian Police Service Medal on his left breast (defence) medal rack.

State awards are not to be worn with defence medals issued by the Sovereign or the Australian Government without special permission. So far only the National Police Medal or Territory Police Medals qualify.

Mr Meehan, who served with the Navy for 20 years and saw active service in Vietnam aboard HMAS Brisbane as a weapons mechanic, said he acted in good faith after the WA Police Commissioner said that permission had even granted by the Governor-general for members to wear the medal on the left.

Wrong side ... Queensland RSL State President Terry Meehan.

However the Governor-General’s instructions are clear: “Medals not issued by the Sovereign must not be mixed with medals that are issued by the Sovereign.”

When his error was pointed out Mr Meehan apologised and removed the Police Service Medal but he later remounted it after receiving support from National RSL President retired Admiral Ken Doolan who said ANZMI was wrong.

However ANZMI said both men were wrong and without permission from the Queen the WA Police Service Medal must be worn on the right side.

“I will leave it off until the matter is sorted out by the Honours and Awards Secretariat,” Mr Meehan said.

“I won’t wear it until the matter is clarified and when that occurs I expect ANZMI to remove me from their site.”

An ANZMI webmaster stated that Admiral Doolan’s intervention could open the floodgates for police, fire-fighting, ambulance and other state medals to be added to defence racks.

Admiral Doolan told News Corp Australia that he stood by his comments and his support for Mr Meehan, who did a huge amount of volunteer work for the RSL in Queensland.

The website’s conveners, who remain anonymous, make no apologies for their hardline stance.

One of them, known as “Bill”, told News Corp that they usually had a landslide of allegations following Anzac Day.

“Currently we have 53 stacked up and am sure that will climb well into the 70s after Anzac Day,” he said.

Mr Meehan said he supported exposing and prosecuting offenders but he said ANZMI should be willing to remove mistakes from its website.

“People who have been exonerated are still on the site because they have a policy that once you go up you stay there forever and that is unfair,” he said.

“I have exposed several medal fraudsters myself and there will always be people who wear medals they have not earned and they should be prosecuted in the courts.”

It is a federal offence to claim to be a returned service person and it carries six months in jail and a $3300 fine.

Additional penalties apply to inappropriately wearing a service decoration.