Advertising legend John Singleton takes out a full page ad in support of Ben Roberts-Smith
Advertising legend John Singleton has taken out a full page newspaper advertisement in support of Ben Roberts-Smith, thanking the Victoria Cross recipient for his courage, strength, commitment and the “torture you must now endure.”
The ad, which was published in The Weekend Australian today, is headlined “an apology to Ben Roberts-Smith from a coward.”
It poses questions including “have you ever been to war? Ever been shot at ? Ever had to decide whether to kill or be killed?
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Singleton, a multi-millionaire businessman and advertising legend, says he dodged the Vietnam War, “lied my way out of it.”
“Our Vets risked our lives for us. Were we there?” he says.
“What about Iraq? Who got hurt? Australia did.”
“Come on down Ben Roberts-Smith. In god forsaken Afghanistan, in a war which has what to do with Australia, is a Corporal on his 5th or 6th Mission.”
“Have you ever spoken to any soldier who has seen frontline action? Look at the pain in their faces. The long silence that tells so much.”
“The media just turn to gossip. They grab hold of an illegal leak from a public servant. They target big, tough, impressive VC winner... not given to showing any public exterior.”
“Ben Roberts-Smith can pay for it with his reputation. Disgraceful stuff.”
“He didn’t start our war.”
Mr Roberts-Smith is currently waiting for three Federal Court judges to consider his bid to overturn his defamation loss to Nine Newspapers last year.
He has always denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
