Four Tests Made Of Soldier’s Fitness

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32322, 13 June 1970, Page 11

Four Tests Made Of Soldier’s Fitness

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) CANBERRA, June 12. A soldier killed by a mine explosion in Vietnam last Saturday had undergone four medical examinations and had been passed fit for service everywhere, the Army Minister (Mr Andrew Peacock) said in the Federal Parliament today.

He was replying in the House of Representative to a New South Wales Liberal member, Mr William McKellar, who asked about allegations that the soldier, Private S. G. Larsson, could not see 4ft in front of him without his glasses.

Mr McKellar said that the allegations were made in a speech to the House yesterday. Mr Peacock said he had seen press reports of the speech but had not yet been able to examine Hansard. “If the reports contained in the newspapers are correct, then 1 would have to say that the allegations made are themselves incorrect,” the Minister said. Mr Peacock said that the soldier had been examined by the Department of Labour and National Service and also by the Army. He had again been examined during his basic recruit training. “As a consequence of receiving representations I specifically requested a further report on this soldier and he was examined in February of this year,” he said. Mr Peacock said that the Army view on acceptable unaided vision was that a soldier without spectacles should be able to distinguish a stationary object, such as a

man, at approximately 125 yards. He had to take into account that, on four occasions, the man had been passed medically fit. “On that basic requirement which I have just enunciated, I had no option but to see that the man went with his unit to Vietnam,” Mr Peacock said.

He said that two pairs of spectacles had been issued to the soldier.