business was more common with psychiatric claims for which there was little objective supporting evidence such as scans and blood test results. Without implied criticism of the many genuine cases, much depended on the bona fides of the applicant - the veracity of what he told the psychiatrist, for example, about symptoms and exposure to war-related traumatic events. There was even a small number of go-to psychiatrists in Queensland who too readily would provide the diagnosis being sought. In my experience again, the most common misusers were ex-Navy and ex-Air Force veterans. Anyway, that’s life. The many war-widow cases we heard were almost invariably welcomed, at least on the various Board panels I served on. These were nearly all widows of WW2 veterans and, coming from that remarkable and so-called “Greatest generation”, were a delight to deal with - so polite, modest, gracious and honest. Often that honesty didn’t help their case and frustrated their advocates. At my years on the Board (2006 - 2010) their veteran husbands had died well into their eighties, so it was typically hard to connect their cause of death to a relevant aspect of their war service more than 60 years earlier. The most common causes of death at that age were heart attacks or cancers, for which the most useful - usually the only - causal factors that could be contended were on-going, warrelated smoking or drinking habits. We knew the questions to ask to gently try to elicit the smoking or drinking history that would help their case but typically the widow didn’t understand and being so honest would say something like: “Oh no, he was already a very heavy smoker when I first met him, years before the war.” Or: “No he hardly drank after the war, so please don’t you dare say my husband was a drinker.” Bless them. Usually there was sufficient supporting evidence if you dug deep enough and while I forget the actual figures, I’m pleased to say we got most of their cases up. So, I’ve touched on just a few of my experiences, and a few issues, with the Veteran’s Review Board. As I said, I was only ever on one side of the table, a member of the Board; while I could get a feel for what the applicants were going through, I was never in their shoes. What about you, have you ever appeared before the Board, what was your experience? I’m sure Pete would appreciate your feedback on this forum. And I would too; don’t hold back, I’ve got a thick skin. Bob Brumm Kevin O’Brien’s Latest Book (Brigadier Kevin John O’Brien, CSC (Rtd) served in the Australian Army for 33 years. He had a distinguished defence career including operational service in Vietnam; service with the British Army in England and on the Rhine; Instructor at the School of Artillery at North Head and later at the Australian Command and Staff College, Queenscliff. He held key artillery leadership appointments: Battery Commander ‘A’ Field Battery, Commanding Officer 8/12th Medium Regiment and Commander of 1st Division Artillery. He has edited several books on the Defence of Sydney, the Korean War and New Guinea. He was also the executive producer of television documentaries: “Kokoda - The Bloody Track” and “Hamel - The Turning Point”. He initiated and then managed the creation of new memorial parks at Fromelles and Le Hamel in France. His most recent publication was ‘Defending Middle Head – A Short History’. He has previously been appointed as a Trustee of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust; to the Board of the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway; as a Trustee of the Bathurst RSL Sub-Branch; and as a member of the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal. He regularly lectures at the United Services Club of Queensland on Australian military history topics.)
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