Trooper Mark Donaldson receives Victoria Cross for bravery in Afghanistan

news.com.au ^ | 16th January 2009

[naturalman1975]

THE first Victoria Cross for Australia has been awarded to a Trooper Mark Donaldson this morning for his bravery in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Governor-General Quentin Bryce made the historic announcement today at Government House in Canberra.

Tropper Donaldson received the award for his actions in Afghanistan on September 2 last year, when, under heavy fire, he ran 80 metres to save an interpreter for the coalition forces and carried him to safety under sustained and accurate shooting.

The Victoria Cross is the highest possible award for acts of bravery in wartime, ahead of the Military Cross. Queen Victoria instituted the award in 1856 and made it retrospective to cover the Crimean War.

In 1975 it became the Victoria Cross for Australia after the imperial awards system changed.

[naturalman1975]

As the article mentions, this is the first award of the 'Victoria Cross for Australia'. In the early 1970s, Australia redesigned its honours system so that Australian medals would be awarded in place of British Imperial Honours. Canada and New Zealand have done the same. Because of the special status of the Victoria Cross, it was retained as the paramount award for valour in the face of the enemy. The Victoria Cross for Australia is identical in all respects to the Imperial honours VC.

[SandRat]

Retired Yank Army Major saluting you Trooper Mark Donaldson.

[naturalman1975]

Ping

[naturalman1975]

Articles referencing the action for which this Victoria Cross was received.

Australian soldier dodges gunfire to save wounded interpreter
Revealed: How ambushed Diggers turned tables on Taliban
Special forces land crushing blow on Taliban in Afghanistan-(SAS Australia)

[Brucifer]

I bet they issued him a wheelbarrow to carry his testicles around in. Big brass ones for sure.

[Brucifer]

“made it retrospective to cover”

Modern journalism for ya. They don’t know the difference between retroactive and retrospective.

[gwilhelm56]

**“made it retrospective to cover”**

Is that an Aussie English thing?

**Modern journalism for ya.**

I’d Expect that from USA Media.. just wrong on so many levels. I barely passed Highschool English, so I do miss some Grammatical errors, but that is just SO WRONG!!

[DieHard the Hunter]

Congratulations to Trooper Mark Donaldson VC. He is among the bravest of the brave, and all of Australia must be very proud.

[Brucifer]

I’m not really a gotcha type grammarian or anything. I generally don’t comment on misspellings or peculiar diction, or pronunciation. But I fell that this is just stupid.

How can these “journalists” go to school, with the intention of being “professional” writers, and be so gosh awful when it comes to the matter of ordinary English?

Just damned lazy and arrogant is all.

[wgflyer]

Liberals can do what they will, but as long as Australia and America have men and women of this caliber there is great hope for the world.

I am thankful for their existence, yet amazed, simultaneously, that such people can come to be in today’s horribly self centered societies.

Flabbergasting, yet absolutely wonderful. Bless them all.