Vol. 64, No. 5 (September-October 2013) 41

Following nearly a century of British rule, Fiji gained its independence in 1970. Democratic rule has since been interrupted by the occasional military and civilian coup. The most recent occurred in December 2006 when Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama appointed himself acting president and in January 2007 became interim prime minister. Since taking power he has neutralized his opponents, crippled Fiji’s democratic institutions, and refused to hold elections much to the ire of his Oceania neighbors New Zealand and Australia.

Like other small Oceania countries, Fiji has found it profitable to provide “rent-a-troops” to the United Nations. Beginning in 1978 when it dispatched troops to Lebanon as part of the original UNIFIL mission, Fiji has been a regular participant in United Nations and international peacekeeping operations (Table 1). The first two regular battalions of the Fijian Infantry Regiment have been designated for deployment on overseas peacekeeping missions. The 1st Battalion has served in Lebanon, Iraq, and East Timor. The 2nd Battalion has served in the Sinai as part of the Multinational Force of Observers

(MFO) since 1982.

Following the 2006 coup, Australian and New Zealand jointly urged the United Nations to cease deploying Fijian troops. In September 2008, the United Nations suspended Fijian participation in future peace missions, but has continued to employ Fijian military and police personnel in their current assignments.

With a robust history of overseas service, it would lead one to believe that Fiji’s General Service Medal, established in 1992 and issued in addition to any United Nations or international force medal, would be quite common. This is not the case. There is scant information on the Internet about Fiji’s medals. Even on those Internet sites depicting Fiji’s medals, the General Service Medal is usually missing. With close to 300 troops stationed in Baghdad and Erbil, under United Nations command, I finally located my first image of the medal. I was later able to obtain images of a mounted group to a Fijian soldier who served with the Multinational Force of Observers (Figure 1).

FIJI’S GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL

ED EMERING

Table 1: Peacekeeping missions in which Fijian troops have participated.

42 JOMSA

Figure 2: Obverse of the Fiji General Service Medal.

The General Service Medal features the image of Fiji’s Seru Epenisa Cakobau (also spelled “Cacobau” or “Thakombau”) (1815–1883), the former King of Fiji (Figure 2). The reverse features three typical devices for a joint services award: a flying eagle (air force) in a wreath surmounted by crown, superimposed on crossed swords (army), all superimposed on a naval anchor

Figure 1: Mounted Fijian group: General Service Medal, Fiji Republic Medal (Military Division), United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Medal and Multinational Force of Observers Medal.

(Figure 3). The medal is suspended from a red ribbon with a rifle green central stripe.

Figure 3: Reverse of the Fiji General Service Medal.

SUPPORTOUR

ADVERTISERS

Vol. 64, No. 5 (September-October 2013) 43

SECRETARY’S REPORT

June-July 2013

PURCHASE OMSA BADGES AND MEDALS(FULL-SIZED OR MINIATURES)

CONTACT: CLYDE L. TINKLEPAUGH, JR., OMSA SECRETARY PO BOX 540CLAYMONT, DE 19703-0540

Those listed as new members have applied for 2013 membership in the Orders and Medals Society of America. If no proper written objection to such membership is received from any member in good standing within sixty (60) days of publication, the applicant shall be admitted to membership (Article III, Section 3 of the OMSA Constitution, and Article III, Section 2 of the OMSA By-Laws). The collecting interests of each new member as provided on the membership application follow each new member’s address.

NEW MEMBERS

#8267 Leigh C. Smith, (Internet), 1540 Ridge Ave., Muskegon, MI 49441#8268 John Lundstrom, (Internet), 3255 S. 35th St., Milwaukee, WI 53215-4127#8269 Bastian Narten, (Internet), Lentheweg 4, 21077 Hamburg, Germany#8270 Stephen Previtera, (Gift), 5206 New Kent Rd., Richmond, VA 23225#8271 Andrew C. Hansen, (Internet), 5012 Kenneth Dr., Crystal Lake, IL 60014#8272 Michael J. Hicks, (Internet), 5201 W. Deerbrook Dr., Muncie, IN 47304#8273 Roger Brinley, (Internet), 10832 Antigua Terr., #201, N. Bethesda, MD 20852#8274 Philip Byrnes, (Internet), 3055 Santa Margarita St., Las Vegas, NV 89146#8275 Richard Benson, (Internet), 6908 Zinnia Place, NW, Albuquerque, NM 87121#8276 Michael P. Bohannon, (Internet), 453 Kimberly Ct., McDonough, GA30252#8277 Michael Kelly, (Internet), 5895 Clermont Dr., Alexandria, VA 22310

REINSTATED#5335 LTC James A. Wisor, Jr. (Ret) 734 W. Foothill Rd., Bridgewater, NJ 08807

ADDRESS CHANGES & CORRECTIONS

Boddington, Jack, #0871/DM15, 421-4069 106 St. NW, Edmonton, AB T6J 4N5, CanadaCaubarreaux, Eric R. #6198, 410 Row Three, Apt BF, Lafayette, LA 70508Gothard, Scott, #7019, 5340 Penny Express Trl., Camino, CA 95709-9402Klimovitch, Grigory N., #6758, 26312 Los Viveros Apt E, Mission Viejo, CA 92691-2844Karaszewski, Gary A., #6088, 7887 Lake Bluff 19.4 Dr., Gladstone, MI 49837Montpelier, Dale J., #8205, 120 Suburban Rd., Ste 203, Knoxville, TN 37923-5592Peterson, William E., #5795, 2601 Swoop Cir., Kissimmee, FL 34741-7831Rosenbaum, Les, #5621, Liverpool Medals Ltd., 1, The Causeway, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1DE, UKSchmitt, Paul, #5920, 7110 Tashkent Place, Dulles, VA 20189-7110Turoff, Michael, #6102, 130 N. Garland Ct., Apt 2501, Chicago, IL 60602-4786Whalen-Crichton, Brian, #4809, 5092 Gela Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23455-2213

End of Report Clyde L. Tinklepaugh, Jr. Secretary