Schafer
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Robert Neville Schafer - Phantom of the Jungle?? Robert Schafer served as a Driver with an Infantry Battalion in Vietnam from 28th Dec 1967 to 6th Aug 1968. |
He enlisted as a National Serviceman on the 29 Sep 1965 and was discharged 29 Sep 1968. He obviously committed himself to an extra year to serve in Vietnam, which is very commendable. It is unfortunate that Schafer has foolishly navigated himself onto the Wannabe reef.
Schafer is another, who claims to have been a Phantom of the Jungle having served with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in Vietnam, but of course cannot speak about it because of the Official secrets Act. Like all wannabes though, it is no good being a hero if you cannot talk about it, so bit by bit he dropped little pieces of his SASR service to both individuals and to groups. At hospital group meetings he has blamed his SASR Vietnam Service for his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has said he was involved in ambushes deep in the jungle away from the Australian Base and was part of a group assigned to kill Viet Cong leaders around Hanoi. Schafer also claims to have been Wounded in Action in Vietnam. Here are the two cards that make up Schafer’s record of service, they show that his service was routine and as follows: 29 Sep 1965 Enlisted - Recruit Training 8 Dec 1965 Posted to 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) as a Rifleman 28 Jun 1966 Changed employment to Driver still at 3 RAR. 29 Sep 1967 Re-engaged for a further twelve months. 27 Dec 1967 Departed Adelaide 28 Dec 1967 Arrived Vietnam serving with 3RAR 6 Aug 1968 Departed Vietnam 29 Sep 1968 Discharged from the Army. Below is an extract from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Nominal Roll showing that during his whole service in Vietnam Schafer was a Private soldier with 3 RAR. We are reliably advised that he served with Administration Company in the role of Driver Employment Code Number (ECN) 302
Claims of service with elite units is in epidemic proportions Army SASR and Tunnel Rat, Engineer Units are popular as well as Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers. We have never had a Wannabe who was a Clerk or a Cook or one of the hundreds of other mundane, but essential jobs that support front line troops. They all want to be heroes. We have cases stacked up waiting to be processed, and we warn Wannabes that they could be next into the breech and about to be named and shamed on our web site. If you have been claiming false service, we suggest you contact those you have been fooling, apologise and hope we don’t know about you. 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. |