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Payne is Australian - and back during Vietnam, Australians still received the same decorations as British troops. Event today, while Australia has its own system of medals, the Victoria Cross still remains at the top of the scale - nobody is messing with the history behind that medal.

Four Australians won the Victoria Cross in Vietnam. They went to:

Major Peter Badcoe (Posthumous Award). Badcoe was also awarded the US Silver Star twice.

Warrant Officer Class Two Kenneth Payne, of the Australian Army Training Team. He also received the US Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. Payne survived the war and still lives in Queensland.

Warrant Officer Class Two Rayne Simpson. He also received the US Silver Star and Bronze Star. Simpson survived the war but died of cancer in 1978.

Warrant Officer Class Two Kevin Wheatley (Posthumous Award). The United States awarded him the Silver Star.

DOH! You're right, he is an Aussie, but I STILL didn't know there were troops other than American and South Vietnamese there. Wait a minute, I DO remember reading once about some ROK troops there who were real bad a$$es. I wasn't paying attention during the war; I was about 10 when we first sent advisors, and had just about finished college when the POWs came home. I've read a few books, but don't know that much about it, really.

I had a cousin who did two tours of duty, and only found out a couple of years ago what he really did. He was a Search and Rescue pilot like the character Danny Glover played in the movie Bat 21. He flew helicopters, too. Frankly, knowing the casualty rate of those guys, it's a wonder he made it home. He went on to head up the 3rd Armored Division during the Gulf War. He's retired now and just lost his wife last year. Still a great guy.