Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 6, 2014 23:39:21 GMT 12
Vietnam vet fights his last battle
By Carmen Parahi
Published: 11:22AM Sunday April 06, 2014 Source: Marae
Vietnam veteran and Anglican priest, Wally Te Ua is on his last mission. "This will be the last I think, this bitch of a bloody battle with the Government."
Wally's fighting the Government and the Veterans' Affairs Department in the Wellington High Court tomorrow. Te Ua and his wife, Lynette Stanovich will seek a Judicial Review of the operational performance of Veterans' Affairs, claiming breach of statutory duty and negligence.
They couldn't go into detail about their case but believe they are acting on behalf of all veterans and their families.
"I am concerned they haven't listened to us in the past, they're not listening now - will they listen in the future? The only way I know to test that is by litigation," says Wally.
The veteran is dying from prostate cancer attributed to three tours in Vietnam during 1967-68. "We were never told in our preparation that we were most likely going to be in areas operating where toxic chemicals were going to be used. So we were completely unprepared for it," says Wally.
A very emotional Lynette told TVNZ's Marae programme: "Even going to the High Court I didn't want him to do that because of the stress," she says. "He's a good man but he's affected by Vietnam and I know going to the court's going to be a hard thing for us to do."
It's the second time a veteran has taken Veterans' Affairs to court for a judicial review since the Government apologised to Vietnam veterans in 2008. All veterans were promised better care for their war service.
RSA National President Don McIver says: "The RSA is concerned that a veteran, Walter Te UA, and his partner have considered it necessary to take a civil case, at some personal cost, before the High Court to seek remedy from the Secretary of War Pensions for perceived inadequacies in the application of the War Pension Act 1954 and related matters."
Veterans' Affairs is responsible for providing services, pensions and financial aid for veterans and their families. From July 2010 to October 2013, Veterans' Affairs accepted 7,412 claims but declined 6,953. The department spends over $170 million on pensions for 3,268 veterans.
Minister Michael Woodhouse is backing his department. "I am confident Veterans' Affairs New Zealand continues to act in the best interests of those it serves."
Vietnam veteran William Wilson is supportive of Wally's private case. He's been denied financial help too. "We're soldiers side-by-side and the battle still goes on side-by-side."
William and other veterans are planning to march to the High Court wearing their war medals with Wally and Lynette tomorrow morning.
tvnz.co.nz/national-news/vietnam-vet-fights-his-last-battle-5887329
By Carmen Parahi
Published: 11:22AM Sunday April 06, 2014 Source: Marae
Vietnam veteran and Anglican priest, Wally Te Ua is on his last mission. "This will be the last I think, this bitch of a bloody battle with the Government."
Wally's fighting the Government and the Veterans' Affairs Department in the Wellington High Court tomorrow. Te Ua and his wife, Lynette Stanovich will seek a Judicial Review of the operational performance of Veterans' Affairs, claiming breach of statutory duty and negligence.
They couldn't go into detail about their case but believe they are acting on behalf of all veterans and their families.
"I am concerned they haven't listened to us in the past, they're not listening now - will they listen in the future? The only way I know to test that is by litigation," says Wally.
The veteran is dying from prostate cancer attributed to three tours in Vietnam during 1967-68. "We were never told in our preparation that we were most likely going to be in areas operating where toxic chemicals were going to be used. So we were completely unprepared for it," says Wally.
A very emotional Lynette told TVNZ's Marae programme: "Even going to the High Court I didn't want him to do that because of the stress," she says. "He's a good man but he's affected by Vietnam and I know going to the court's going to be a hard thing for us to do."
It's the second time a veteran has taken Veterans' Affairs to court for a judicial review since the Government apologised to Vietnam veterans in 2008. All veterans were promised better care for their war service.
RSA National President Don McIver says: "The RSA is concerned that a veteran, Walter Te UA, and his partner have considered it necessary to take a civil case, at some personal cost, before the High Court to seek remedy from the Secretary of War Pensions for perceived inadequacies in the application of the War Pension Act 1954 and related matters."
Veterans' Affairs is responsible for providing services, pensions and financial aid for veterans and their families. From July 2010 to October 2013, Veterans' Affairs accepted 7,412 claims but declined 6,953. The department spends over $170 million on pensions for 3,268 veterans.
Minister Michael Woodhouse is backing his department. "I am confident Veterans' Affairs New Zealand continues to act in the best interests of those it serves."
Vietnam veteran William Wilson is supportive of Wally's private case. He's been denied financial help too. "We're soldiers side-by-side and the battle still goes on side-by-side."
William and other veterans are planning to march to the High Court wearing their war medals with Wally and Lynette tomorrow morning.
tvnz.co.nz/national-news/vietnam-vet-fights-his-last-battle-5887329
