Former serviceman reveals dark side of war nobody is talking about

A former Toowoomba serviceman delivered an emotional address about the ‘forgotten’ heroes of the war, and how now is the time to acknowledge these men and women.

Retired serviceman Graeme Hunter risked his life every day completing peacekeeping ops in Somalia.

When he returned home to his family and friends, after battling every day, losing friends on the frontline, and seeing the most harrowing scenes of death and loss, he found out his service wasn’t even acknowledged.

It was branded “just a peacekeeping effort”.

Mr Hunter retired at the rank of Warrant Officer Class One in 2019.

A formative part of his service was in Somalia where he was on the front lines for a peacekeeping task.

But the work was so much more than just keeping peace.

Guest speaker Graeme Hunter and Jason Reeves. Remembrance Day ceremony at Mothers Memorial.

“For a while now I’ve had a bit of a bug bear and I think some of my fellow veterans feel the same,” he said.

“A lot of old veterans use the terminology ‘oh you were just a peacekeeper’.

“Well, the unfortunate part of that is as I was just a peacekeeper, I did work in Somalia, and Somalia had more contacts than three battalions did in Vietnam.

“We worked very hard and we did conventional war ops as in ambushing, attacks, up to deliberate return attacks which is conventional war.”

Mr Hunter said peacekeeping operations have their work downgraded by the older generation of servicemen and women, saying the title “peacekeeper” downgraded their service, and delegitimised the work they put in, and the loss they suffered.

Mr Hunter said when they returned their work was put to a tribunal for review, but returned heartbreaking results.

In that tribunal, 24 submitters called for the issue of a Campaign Medal for Somalia.

In the report, they said the operation in Somalia was comparable to those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and East Timor.

They worked 24 hours a day with “indiscriminate shooting” and hostile crowds who were often drug-affected.

Five submitters were against the issue of a Campaign Medal, arguing the 17 week deployment did not justify the issue of a medal, and because there were relatively few members of the ADF who were deployed.

The results that were returned were heartbreaking for those deployed.

“In the end it came back to us that it was insignificant,” he said.

“We lost a great lance corporal while we were over there and the way we portray that is he wasn’t insignificant, and neither was our service there.

“Unfortunately, by giving it the ‘peacekeeping mission’ brand, it’s actually lessened the deployment.

“I must admit the result that came back was disheartening.

“I was sick to the stomach in regards to the insignificant comment.

“I’ve always carried that around with me after my service and I don’t know what can change that now other than us being us, we look after each other.

“We all stick together.”

Mr Hunter now speaks out about the “peacekeeping” brand and its implications, taking to the microphone at the Remembrance Day ceremony at Mothers Memorial this week.

He said now was the time for a change in attitude on behalf of veterans who he says diminish their work but branding them just as peacekeepers.

“No one has ever spoken about what effect the brand peacekeeping has had on the soldiers who have done heavy deployments,” he said.

(From left) Jason Reeves, Russell Dawes, M. Newton, Darren Coleman, Graeme Hunter, Sharmaine Hunter, Bruce Anderson, Che Hunter and Renee Hunter.

“It’s hard work, then given the slant that, ‘sorry you only did peacekeeping’.

“Because it was peacekeeping, it was considered lesser than a war op, but it was actually noted that Somalia was warlike in its conditions, therefore it was represented as a war act.

“It’s just taken a toll on a lot of guys and it needs to be said.

“Maybe if the older generation can actually take that into account and say you did ops in Somalia instead of saying you’re just a peacekeeper.”