This is what we have been given on this person. He appears to have made the Certificate of Service himself, or had it made from an original issued to him previously. The medals are not in the correct order, wrongly named and list many he has no entitlement to. Stinson himself has published this material on the World Wide Web. Here is the doctored 'Certificate of Service' from Stinson's web site before he removed it;

Here is his official military service, make the comparison. The following information was confirmed on enquiry and is on the public record. Note the variations between the two and the comments made by the research officer to the true service record.:

Name:   
Stephen John Stinson

Date of Birth:  
10 Oct 1946

Service:        
Australian Regular Army 4 Jan 1966 to 21 Sep 1979 (nil prior service)
Citizen Military Forces 22 Sep 1979 to 23 Jan 1980
Rank on Discharge:      
Captain (Temporary Major)

Unit Service:   
Officer Cadet School - Jan to Dec 1966
1st Composite Ordnance Depot - Feb to Jun 1967
3RAR - Jun 1967 to Nov 1967
1st Composite Ordinance Depot - Nov 1967 to Feb 1968
5RAR - Feb 1968 to Dec 1970
HQ NT COMD - Dec 1970 to May 1972
2RAR - May 1972 to Aug 1973
2/4RAR - Aug 1973 to Nov 1973
ADAG PNG (seconded to Dept of Ext Affairs - Nov 1973 to Jan 1976
ADOG (AC) PNG Jan 1976 to Nov 1977
3RAR - Nov 1973 to Nov 1979

Overseas Service:       
South Vietnam - Feb 1969 to Feb 1970 (5RAR and MATT Phuóc Tuy Province)
PNG - Nov 1973 to Sep 1977

Medals (Issued by ADF):
Australian Active Service Medal 1945/75 Clasp Vietnam
Vietnam Medal
Australian Service Medal 1945/75 Clasp PNG
PNG Independence Medal
Vietnamese Campaign Medal
The US Meritorious Unit Commendation
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation
Infantry Combat Badge
Return from Active Service Badge

Note:   
ADF Honours and Awards Army Medal Section have confirmed the above as being issued by the Australian Defence Force.  They advise that this entitlement was confirmed to Mr. Stinson in August 1999.

Records indicate no connection with Special Forces or service prior to 1966. No mention of any service with the Australian Army in Borneo.

Certificate of Service: 
Appears to be a self made certificate based on a copy of a Certificate of Service issued to him by Defence in Sep 1979. Someone has amended the enlistment date, added various medals to the original, added colour and moved the Army watermark up to the top of the Certificate. A copy of the original issued by the Army in 1979 is above. Interestingly the Australian Active Service Medal 1945/75 Clasp Vietnam and Australian Service Medal 1945/75 Clasp PNG were not available until the mid 1990’s. They were not contemplated in 1979!

How they are able to be entered onto a Certificate of Service issued in 1979 is interesting. Another medal he is claiming is the General Service Medal with Clasp South Vietnam, this was issued for service in Vietnam between 1962 and 1964 only and mainly to members of the AATTV, he did not enlist until 1966?

He is also claiming medals for service in Borneo, on the Malaya Peninsula and in Northern Ireland. Again there are no records of his service in these operational areas. He appears to have had service with the PNG Constabulary after leaving the Army so he may have the PNG 10th Anniversary Medal as claimed.

He has no entitlement to the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977; he was never issued this by Defence. There is no record of his being awarded foreign awards of the US Army Distinguished Service Medal or the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He may have been awarded these but has never had these foreign awards approved by the Australian Government's Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, so they cannot be formally recognised.

However, these foreign awards may also be fabricated like the Certificate of Service.

Career (as displayed by Stinson on the Internet):
Claims service in ARA from 1963? He enlisted in 1966, on enlistment claimed “nil previous service”

States service (Military?) in Australia, Malaysia. Borneo, Singapore, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Europe, United States and New Zealand. His military service records do NOT confirm service other than in Australia, Vietnam and PNG? The rest may have been with his civilian employment.

Open, and shut.

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.