[thundrey]

It’s almost impossible to win the VC without dying. Only 1 person, Johnson Berray, has managed to win it in the last 40 years without being killed in the process...

[naturalman1975]

Two, in fact. Corporal Bill Apiata of the New Zealand Special Air Service is also a living recipient for his actions in Afghanistan in 2004.

[LucyJo]

Didn’t know that. Seems this man came as close to dying as most would want to come. However, if it’s dying that wins the honor, I’d imagine his loved ones would just as soon he missed out on this one.

I’m going to google Johnson Berray. Thanks.

[M203M4]

Related to Beharry, there is an incident with the BBC which makes my blood boil. A 1.5 hour special on his actions was developed, but the BBC refused to finish and air it because there was not enough they could do to spin the story in a negative way (Johnson still wants to go back to Iraq, all members of his unit had nothing negative to add, etc). Seriously - the BBC was afraid that the story of heroism was far too positive, and that viewers opposed to the Iraq war would have been upset.

I don't care what their politics are with regard to Iraq, or their notions of journalistic "balance" - anyone who has a problem with a positive depiction of this man's battlefield bravery is squarely rooting against Britain, not just British involvement in Iraq.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> It’s almost impossible to win the VC without dying. Only 1 person, Johnson Berray, has managed to win it in the last 40 years without being killed in the process...

Arrant n nonsense. Willie Apiata VC was awarded his just before Christmas last year. He is very, very much alive.

Charles Upham VC with Bar was awarded the Victoria Cross TWICE in WW-II and lived to tell the tale. He died in the early 1990’s.