Posted on 03/17/2005 5:08:17 PM PST by free_european
A British soldier serving in Iraq who saved 30 members of his unit from an ambush has been awarded the first Victoria Cross for more than 20 years. Private Johnson Beharry, 25, was struck by enemy fire as he guided a convoy of Warrior fighting vehicles through the town of Al Amarah last May.
A month later he saved more lives in an attack which left him in a coma.
Mr Beharry is one of 140 servicemen and women honoured for Iraq, Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia and Africa.
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said: "These honours and awards recognise the outstanding achievements of these extraordinary men and women and their acts of great courage, bravery and determination."
Mr Beharry, still recovering from his injuries, said he was "speechless" when told he was winning the VC.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
If you want to know if a war is worth fighting...just ask the soldiers who serve(d) in it!
"I want to return to service, but I don't know when that will be and I would go back to Iraq if I had to."
Highest honor, and deserved. My humblest congratulations.
Long time coming... I think we're due for a MOH here in the USA...
I read of one about to be announced.
We forget that soldiers from other countries face the same dangers and challenges that our guys do. Their first hand view of the war may not correspond to what we see in their press much like ours but many believe in the reason for being in Iraq, much like our guys.
God Bless them all.
Thought you might be interested in this thread about your British hero who received the Victoria Cross.
I believe there are two who have officially been nominated and at least two more who are sure to receive the MOH as well but the process for awarding a MOH takes time. For at least three of those four, it will be a posthumous award.
This retired American Soldier Salutes you!
Congratulations Pvt. Beharry!! You have my deepest respect. Good show, old boy, good show.
He's in rare company,and well deserved.
Amen.
BTW, two Americans were also awarded the VC, as well as two Brits were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The "Unknowns" of each country from both World Wars.
He's lucky he isn't being indicted for murder.
In the full article it stated that he is only the thirteenth recipient of the Victoria Cross to survive earning it.
Ping!
Thanks for the ping!
An interesting side-note is that this brave warrior was born in Grenada. I wonder who his valor would serve if Reagan hadn't liberated Grenada.
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