First VC Since Falklands Granted

[RACooper]

Iraq war hero presented with Victoria Cross

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...itaryiraqaward

LONDON (AFP) - An army private who saved the lives of dozens of comrades in Iraq was awarded the Victoria Cross, the first soldier to get the country's highest medal for bravery in 23 years.



"You're very special," Queen Elizabeth told the Johnson Beharry during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

"She said that she doesn't get to present the VC very often," the 25-year-old Grenada-born serviceman said after the medal was pinned to his khaki tunic.

Beharry's Victoria Cross is the first awarded since two were given posthumously during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina.

He is the first living soldier since 1965 to receive the distinction, created in 1856 to honour soldiers of the British Empire during the Crimean War who showed particular gallantry in the face of enemy attack.

Beharry, who only arrived in Britain in 1999, earned the Victoria Cross for two separate acts of valour under fire in the town of Amara, near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, last year.

In the first, he was struck by bullet fire while guiding an armoured convoy through a major ambush in May. A month later, he rescued further soldiers but suffered serious head wounds in an assault by a rocket propelled grenade that left him in a coma.

"When I hear what I did, I can't really believe it was me," the former house painter said Wednesday. "But what I did was my choice -- I knew I had to get everyone out because I wouldn't have been able to live with myself otherwise.

"I think it's the training that just kicks in."

Only 1,355 Victoria Crosses, all made from the bronze of Russian cannons captured in the Crimea, have ever been awarded, most of them posthumously.

For the purposes of the ceremony, Beharry outranked Britain's most senior soldier, General Sir Michael Jackson, his award taking precedence to the general's being knighted.

And from the BBC:

Sir Mike Jackson said he had been "overshadowed" at the investiture by Pte Beharry. "And quite rightly so - it was an honour to stand alongside him," Sir Mike Jackson said.

[Rudey]

I wasn't paying attention and thought this was a Canadian story. Then when they talked about the Falklands war, I was like oh wow, I didn't realize Canada was all involved in that.

-Rudey
--Good for this guy

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Rudey
I wasn't paying attention and thought this was a Canadian story. Then when they talked about the Falklands war, I was like oh wow, I didn't realize Canada was all involved in that.

-Rudey
--Good for this guy

Suffering from an Ann Coultier lapse?


The guy deserves for at least surviving an RPG to the head...


PS> I'm surprised you didn't make any comments about the general's name....

[Rudey]

Originally posted by RACooper
Suffering from an Ann Coultier lapse?


The guy deserves for at least surviving an RPG to the head...


PS> I'm surprised you didn't make any comments about the general's name....

Holy shit, it's Michael Jackson.

-Rudey

[AlphaSigOU]

Originally posted by Rudey
Holy shit, it's Michael Jackson.

At least he's easier on the eyes than that freak show on trial...

[Tom Earp]

Heroism should be reward for extraordinary bravery!

It is to many times that We sitting on the couch and see it on TV or hear about it on the Radio never fully understand unless you have been in a shooting situation!

Congratulations to this YOung Soldier.

May we all think about Our Brothers and Sisters who are still there!

[CutiePie2000]

during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina.

I can tell you (since I was in Argentina last month) that the Malvinas Islands (aka The Falkland Islands) are still very much on Argentinians' minds. They are pretty p*ssed off that the British came about 100 years ago and pretty much TOOK them. Nice. Then, they saw the 1982 incident as their big chance to get the Malvinas Islands back, and well...we know how that turned out. Le Sigh........

[RACooper]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina.

I can tell you (since I was in Argentina last month) that the Malvinas Islands (aka The Falkland Islands) are still very much on Argentinians' minds. They are pretty p*ssed off that the British came about 100 years ago and pretty much TOOK them. Nice. Then, they saw the 1982 incident as their big chance to get the Malvinas Islands back, and well...we know how that turned out. Le Sigh........

From the viewpoint of military history and science the Falkland War was a pivotal event in British (and Commonwealth) military doctrine and technology - the Royal Navy and British Army have all taken many lessons from the successes and failiures of the campaign... some of which saw a radical re-ordering of strategic deployment & of military technology.

I'm sure that the US Navy also took a fair measure of how the Royal Navy handled itself; and more importantly how the Argentinians used technology and tactics in attacking the "superior" Royal Navy (re. Exocet).

However there where some moments harking back the glory days of the British Empire - even if they where on a small scale... it's not often you here of a attacking Commanding Officer being killed while leading charge in the hopes of inspiring his men... nor do you hear of a submarine being damaged by personal anti-tank weaponry...

[Rudey]

Originally posted by CutiePie2000
during the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina.

I can tell you (since I was in Argentina last month) that the Malvinas Islands (aka The Falkland Islands) are still very much on Argentinians' minds. They are pretty p*ssed off that the British came about 100 years ago and pretty much TOOK them. Nice. Then, they saw the 1982 incident as their big chance to get the Malvinas Islands back, and well...we know how that turned out. Le Sigh........

Wonderful but irrelevant. Also, several grammatical errors in your writing need to be addressed. Anyway, since we're posting irrelevant tidbits, here you go:



-Rudey