Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith has announced he will attend public ceremonies for Anzac Day. 'Anzac Day is sacred to me and every other veteran. I will be attending to pay my respects and I encourage everyone else to,' Roberts-Smith told Daily Mail.
The retired SAS corporal is expected to attend an Anzac Day event in Queensland on Saturday, the 111th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. His declaration comes amid ongoing debate surrounding his arrest earlier this month and prosecution for alleged war crime murders of five Afghan nationals during his tours of duty between 2009 and 2012.
Roberts-Smith was arrested on April 7 in front of his partner and two teenage daughters, with it later being revealed he was preparing to move to Spain. Many of his supporters earlier vowed to boycott Anzac Day ceremonies in protest.
Australia's four living VC holders, including Vietnam War hero Keith Payne, backed Roberts-Smith's right to attend Anzac events. Mr Payne, 92, publicly supported Roberts-Smith, saying: 'I'll be very, very bloody surprised and so will the remainder of the veteran community if he's not bloody welcome wherever he goes.'
When asked earlier this week, he repeated the same sentiment. 'Look, I'll give you one answer to the whole question of Ben's treatment,' Mr Payne said. 'My belief is what happens in war, stops in war. You can't second guess it when you weren't there.'
Roberts-Smith has claimed he is innocent of the charges against him. He returned to his Gold Coast home following his sensational arrest earlier this month and is required to report to police three times a week. 'I greatly appreciate the support from Keith Payne VC and everyone else that has made contact,' Roberts-Smith told The Australian on Thursday.
On Sunday, Roberts-Smith reiterated that he is proud of his service in Afghanistan, having served in multiple deployments between 2006 and 2012. 'While I was there, I always acted within my values, within my training, within the rules of engagement,' he said in a brief press conference. 'I'd also like to say that I'm extremely proud of all the men and women that served alongside me in Afghanistan and their service and sacrifice should never be forgotten, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice, many of whom were my friends.'
