Convicted over ‘war hero’ medals
RSA president’s court case sparks fresh calls over military pretenders
An RSA president has been convicted of wearing medals he never earned, bringing fresh calls to upgrade the law used to punish military pretenders.
It is only the second such prosecution in New Zealand.
Bill Kerr was president of the Hakaru RSA for six years, having produced a certificate of service on arriving in Mangawhai and wearing five medals to veterans’ parades.
The medals he wore included the Vietnam Medal, which was awarded from 1968 onwards to those who served in the controversial conflict.
But it led to suspicion about Kerr’s service because he had served in the Royal New Zealand Navy — and wasn’t one of the 15 people from the Navy who had served in Vietnam.
Kerr, in his 70s, was convicted in the North Shore District Court on Thursday of wearing medals he was not entitled to. He was fined $250.
He told the Herald: “I’ve got no comment to make.”
Northland RSA president Ian McDougall, who joined the Navy in 1964, said he became suspicious while talking to Kerr about his background.
“I did a bit of research and found out he wasn’t the war hero he claimed to be. I’ll make sure no other RSA in Northland will touch him.”
Kerr’s Vietnam medal was the clincher, he said. It had been awarded to a limited number of Navy medics who served in the conflict.
He said there needed to be higher penalties than those set out in the current law, last upgraded in 1974.
McDougall pointed to a private members bill put forward by National Party MP Todd Barclay, which would make the maximum penalty $5000 or six months in prison.
“With these guys coming back from Afghanistan, there’s bound to be some wannabes who weren’t there but want to be recognised as heroes.”
The new Hakaru president, Graeme Hitchcock, said Kerr had medals signalling service in Vietnam and two others to which he wasn’t entitled.
“It’s disgraceful and disrespectful to those who have actually earned their medals.”
Sergeant Geoff Medland said the prosecution established Kerr was wearing medals that were not his.
“It’s important it’s brought to the public’s attention. There is a national feeling of disgust around people purporting to be war heroes.”
Kerr’s conviction follows the pretence of Kaukapakapa’s Rob Clark, who turned up at an Anzac Day service wearing
There is a national feeling of disgust around people purporting to be war heroes. Sergeant Geoff Medland
a host of medals he never earned, portraying himself as a member of the SAS.
He admitted to the Herald he had served for only a few years in the NZ Army in the early 1990s and was entitled to only one of the 15 medals he was photographed wearing.
Questions about Kerr’s service heightened after he quit neighbourhood group the Anchorage Association, for which he was treasurer.
His wife Valerie, 73, was later convicted on three charges of forgery and one charge of presenting a forged document in relation to the association’s funds. She had to repay money taken and do 50 hours community service.
Medland said the Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges Act 1918 was “antiquated” but “very clear”.