After almost six decades, the family of an Australian soldier killed in the Vietnam War has learned he fathered a daughter they never knew existed. Naomi Jackson, now in her 50s, has been embraced by her newfound relatives and presented with a cherished military keepsake that had been preserved for over half a century.
Emotional Handover of Treasured Uniform
In a poignant ceremony, Richard Robertson handed over his most prized possession—his brother Malcolm's military uniform—to Jackson. “It’s been with us for over 50 years. And it’s now time for you to take it over,” Robertson said. Jackson responded, “You have no idea what that means. Obviously at the time when he was alive it meant a lot to him, so it means the world.”
The uniform was the only tangible link Robertson had to his brother, who was accidentally shot by an Australian guard on Christmas Eve 1969. “I love my brother and I just didn’t share a life with him,” he said.
Discovery Through DNA Testing
The astounding revelation came from Richard's wife, Jacintha, who was researching family history. She found that Jackson's DNA matched Malcolm's after extensive tests. “The only conclusion we could come to was that Malcolm was Naomi's father,” Jacintha said. When asked if they knew Malcolm was a father, the family replied: “We had no idea.”
Jackson, adopted as a child, never knew her birth father. “There's always a part of you missing,” she said. Her birth mother later confirmed a relationship with Malcolm while he was training at Puckapunyal.
New Family Connections and Legacy
“Now that I've met my father's family, there's just these undeniable connections or traits,” Jackson said. “Like I have all these new relatives that can tell me, in their words, what my dad meant to them.” The bond has become so strong that Jackson will be the face of the next RSL Poppy Appeal. “Through me, and through my children, he has left a legacy, which is really good,” she said.
Robertson concurred: “Hopefully through owning this and passing it on to her kids, Malcolm's memory will live on. And I know she'll cherish it and honour it.”
