Michael C. Madden - Dasher: The Kevin Wheatley VC Story

Although the following is not a work of fiction, it might read like one. Kevin Dasher Wheatley VC was an extraordinary human being. If an author was to create a character like Dasher for a fiction novel and write a story like this one, some people might call it farfetched and ridiculous. That said, every tale in this book is true and comes from a long list of books, service records, military reports, citations, letters, newspaper articles and interviews.

Kevin Wheatley was a man who commanded respect and led his men by the light of his actions, not his rank. He is widely regarded as one of the finest infantry soldiers Australia has ever produced. By the time, people, who have never heard of Dasher, finish reading this book, they might wonder how it is possible that they had not come across his story before. I certainly hope so.

I could never understand why some other author, more experienced than me, had not already written Dashers book. He is one of the best-known, most loved and respected Victoria Cross recipients of all time and his story is wildly entertaining. To be honest, I wanted to write it myself for a long time, but was intimidated and frankly, horrified at the idea of taking it on. After all, this is Dasher Wheatley, a man who deserves enormous respect and dignity. I do not think I have ever encountered another person who was more loved by so many people.

While writing this book, I had the absolute pleasure of talking to Dashers family and many of the men who served with him. People like Warrant Officer (ret) Bill William, Captain (ret) Michael Von Burg MC OAM, Warrant Officer (ret) Ray OBrien, Lieutenant Colonel (ret) John Sullivan OAM, and more. After talking to these people, and others, it is easy to come away with a good understanding of the awe in which Dasher was held. You can see the emotion on their faces and hear it in their voices when they talk about him. One moment, they are crying and the next, they are laughing their heads off, as they recall the things Dasher used to do. The pain these people suffered, when Dasher died, is obvious. No one suffered his passing as deeply as his family did, however, and it has been a privilege to get to know them.

I first met George Wheatley, Dashers son, when I was writing my book, The Victoria Cross Australia Remembers, and we have since become good friends. George was the first of the 60 families who would eventually step forward to help me with that book and it was his support that gave me the courage to continue. I can state, with hand on heart, that, without George Wheatley, that book would never have been written and without that book, this one would not have, either. George gave me the encouragement, confidence and will, to begin and after I started, he was the one who kept me going.

Throughout the process of creating this book, George Wheatley tolerated countless phone calls, text messages and emails from me. I constantly pestered him for confirmation of a certain date or name, a long-buried document or photo or simply, for advice and guidance. There were times, when we spoke on the phone every day, for weeks on end and for his part, George never complained. I know it was emotionally difficult for him to continue looking back into his past, but he did it, time and again. The research he did and the work he put in, to find documents, letters and photos, was staggering and will never be forgotten. Thank you for everything, George.

Although there are many people that I should thank, for helping me with this book, I have to say a special thank you to Dashers widow, Edna Wheatley. Edna is a wonderful lady and someone I have come to love dearly. In many ways, Edna reminds me of my own mother, their stories are remarkably similar, save for one glaring difference; my mothers husband survived the Vietnam War, Ednas did not. Both Edna, and my mother Shirley, grew up in the same suburbs of Sydney, at about the same time, and even attended the same school. Although, they never met as children, they have now and get along well, which is something that makes me very happy.

Edna Wheatley is easily the second hero of this book. Her lifes journey is difficult to fully appreciate and, like so many war widows, she has been the constant rock that has held her family together. The enormity of what she has endured bends the mind. I hope the following pages help give people some idea of what life can be like for the families of servicepeople, especially those who are killed overseas. Adding a Victoria Cross to the mix creates a whole new level of problems for families that are impossible to appreciate, without talking to people like Edna. I know every one of her children, George, Phyllis, Ellen and Leeanne, all adore her and fully appreciate all she endured for them, over their lives. I am very aware of how difficult reliving some of her darkest days was for Edna, as she helped me tell Kevins story, and I fully appreciate and respect that. The trust and patience she showed me, through the process, was humbling. Thank you, Edna.

Although, there are a lot of stories about Kevin Wheatley in the following pages, this book could have easily been longer. There are many tales about the man that either could not be verified or were simply inappropriate and might cause the family some discomfort, so were left out. This was something I was extremely conscious about, while writing. The Wheatley family has suffered greatly from Kevins sacrifice and from the nightmarish events that unfolded, after he died. The last thing I wanted to do was to add to that suffering, but I was determined from the outset to write the story, as accurately and honestly as I could. I hope I have achieved this.

It should go without saying that this book is not a glorification of war, nor is it intended to be an open criticism of any government, army or organisation. It is simply the truth, and the simple truth is that Dasher Wheatley was a glorious person. It is my hope that, through this book, many people can learn about him and the crazy and thrilling things he did. Kevin Wheatley should not only be remembered for the way he died and the Victoria Cross he was awarded, but for the man he was and the family he left behind.

When writing my book, The Victoria Cross Australia Remembers, I had the privilege of telling the stories of the then 100 Australians who had been awarded the Victoria Cross. Every one of those stories is an example of outstanding courage and tenacity, but Dasher's stands out to me, as one that speaks clearly to the ideals of valour and humility. In my opinion, the true meaning of Dashers sacrifice is much deeper than it first appears. His decision to do what he did on 13 November 1965, was considered and deliberate. The consequences for him might well have been orders of magnitude worse than the death he suffered. The Vietcong did not always shoot enemy soldiers, when they had an opportunity to do otherwise. Kevin must have expected to be captured and tortured to death that day, yet, he did not flinch. That took staggering courage.

I have deliberately written this book in a way that makes it easy and enjoyable to read. That meant keeping it shorter than it could have been and presenting it in a novelistic way people can enjoy. I did not want to create an almanac or thesis, filled with dates and citations, but an accurate book, which helps people relate to the characters. To do this, I have taken some liberties with some of the dialogue that characters use. Obviously, I was not there, in person, to record what was said. That aside, I can say that the overwhelming majority of dialogue, used in this book, was provided by people who were there.

I must acknowledge Jim Lowe and his son Dasher Lowe. Jim wrote a wonderful book, called, A Jarheads Journey, and with his son Dashers blessing, I have relied on that book heavily, in certain chapters. Jim Lowe and Kevin Wheatley worked closely together in Vietnam and became good friends. They were close enough that Jim nicknamed his son after him.