HERALD SUN
PETER MICKELBUROUGH
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION EDITOR
MARCH 19, 2014
THE $1 million gold card pension entitlements of a Vietnam veteran whose phony war stories have been stripped from the Australian Government’s official online history of the war are now being reviewed.
Robert William Richardson is believed to have received payments, estimated to be worth more than $1 million today, as a full gold card veterans pensioner for up to 30 years.
Mr Richardson’s status as a member of the Order of Australia and a Justice of the Peace are also under review.
Ironically, Mr Richardson is also on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs steering committee for the popular Anzac Day story writing and art competition (SWAC) — a role that is also now under review.
Mr Richardson admitted to the Herald Sun last week that his recollections of storming Viet Cong tunnels as part of Operation Crimp were faulty and that he took no part in the battle. He stated that at the time he was interviewed, he was a rather “mentally disturbed cookie” and that this could explain his vague recollections.
War records show Mr Richardson was drummed out of the army in 1969 after being fined $400 and $50 costs in a criminal court for “obtaining goods under false pretence”.
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Richardson was found Guilty of tarnishing the good name of Royal Australian Regiment Association and was admonished and had to apologise to the 173rd Airborne Brigade .
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