Forgotten heroes of Long Tan (and other battles)

The Australian ^ | 15th August 2008 | Mark Dodd

[naturalman1975]

ON Wednesday night Harry Smith uncorked two bottles of fine red wine to celebrate the award of gallantry medals to his men for their role in the epic Battle of Long Tan. "The fat lady has finally sung," Smith told The Australian.

.....

The main problem with the retrospective awarding of gallantry medals is deciding what point to stop, says historian Michael McKernan, former head of the Australian War Memorial. He warns of possible legal problems with awarding the Victoria Cross of Australia to World War I heroes, for example.

.....

McKernan says it remains incomprehensible that 18-year-old Oerlikon gunner Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean was not awarded the VC for his act of heroism aboard the stricken HMAS Armidale in 1942. The Australian understands there are witnesses still alive who could testify to his self-sacrifice.

"I do not know of any braver act than to accept death," McKernan says.

"He (Sheean) went back and strapped himself to his gun and tried to keep Japanese aircraft away from his mates in the sea and he knew he was going to die."

.....

Struck repeatedly by Japanese aircraft, a wounded Sheean returned to his gun post on the stricken corvette and continued to fire at the attacking warplanes with a 20mm Oerlikon gun, thereby buying precious time for his surviving crewmates. Strapped into his firing seat, he knowingly sacrificed himself and went down with his ship, gun still blazing.

That was November 30, 1942, and apart from having a Collins-class submarine named in his honour, Sheean received no medal. In fact nobody in the Royal Australian Navy has been awarded a VC or its equivalent.

[naturalman1975]

Well worth reading all the article - decorated or not, it tells the story of heroes.

[calex59]

Americans are lax in awarding medals also. I remember, 1960, in Germany, Ayers Kaserne, we lined up on parade and listened to a citation for a sergeant that earned a medal in WWII and was just then receiving it. Bronze star I believe it was. The point is, the military, of all countries, is full of a**hats who refuse to recognize heroism when they see it.

[centurion316]

I have to agree with those Aussies who argue that this, while richly deserved, will open a can of worms. This is exactly what has happened in the United States when well meaning efforts to right oversights and misjudgements has been influenced by politics and political correctness.

No doubt there are many men who performed acts worthy of the Medal of Honor, but for one reason or another, did not receive it. The efforts to correct these efforts has focused on minorities and other polically favored groups. These awards ought to be made on the basis of the combat action and not the political winds of the day. Very hard for that to happen 50 or 60 years after the event.

[Charlespg]

He should get his VC

[Braak]

In the case of Teddy Sheehan, I agree. I understand the regulations concerning witnesses to a heroic act, but I have never agreed with quotas...and the Australians were not alone in this..The US Army in WWII had a bad habit of it as well, though to be fair, the Bronze Star’s been given out an awful lot.

[PGR88]

Teddy Sheean - God Bless and Rest In Peace!

[abigkahuna]

Ha! I was at Ayers Kaserne, A 2/33Bn. Could run around that joint in less than 5 minutes...

[Charlespg]

I don't agree with time limits either
if there are witness statements/reports and other evidence that shows that a person met the criteria for the medal, consider awarding it

sometimes paperwork gets lost or misplaced