Michael Pedrana

Michael Pedrana of Hoppers Crossing, Victoria is a younger generation soldier who has chosen to wear a medal and a clasp that he is not entitled to wear together with his earned medals. 

The photographs shows Pedrana wearing the following medals.

Australian Active Service Medal with two clasps.       Entitled to one clasp only for Iraq.

Iraq Medal                                                              Entitled to wear

Australian Defence Medal                                        Entitled to wear

United Nations Medal East Timor                             Not entitled to wear

His official entitlement is described as follows:

Entitled to wear the ADM

Entitled to wear the Iraq Campaign Medal (Qualified in Zone 2 –outside Iraq , was on Schedule 5618/05)

Entitled to wear the Australian Active Service Medal with Iraq ’03 campaign clasp (Qualified on Op CATALYST in 2004, on Schedule 252/04)

Entitled to wear RAS Badge

From reports we receive it is obvious that contemporary veterans are just as disgusted with their peers who exaggerate their service as generations of veterans before them.

Pedrana has offended his peers and all veterans by wearing an East Timor clasp on his Australian Active Service Medal and by wearing the United Nations Medal for East Timor.

He never served in East Timor and has no entitlement to wear the Clasp or the Medal.

Veterans who exaggerate their service, whether they are old or young are fair game, and if they do the crime we will name and shame them on our web site.

Wannabes and frauds should be cognizant that there are a million veterans, current servicemen and ex servicemen in Australia and New Zealand who do not like those who blatantly lie about their service or gild the lilly.

By wearing the East Timor medal Pedrana has committed an offence under Part VII of the Defence Act 1902 Section 80B and liable to a fine of $3,300 or six months imprisonment or both.

We suggest to Pedrana that his days of wearing a false medal and Clasp are over and he removes them from his Army Reserve uniforms and does not wear them on commemorative occasions.

This is published in the public interest, particularly that of the Vietnam Veteran Community. All information presented here is fact and the truth. Reports from private citizens are supported by statements of fact and statutory declarations.