In 1991 Queen Elizabeth of Britain signed letters patent establishing the Victoria Cross for Australia as part of that nation's Australian Honors System, and its highest military award for gallantry in action.
It replaced the British Victoria Cross that had previously been issued to Australian servicemen. (Similar replacements have been made for Canada and New Zealand.) The Victoria Cross and its Australian, Canadian and New Zealand equivalents are directly comparable to the US Medal of Honor.
The Victoria Cross for Australia had never been awarded - until today.
The first Australian soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross in 40 years does not see himself as a hero.
Trooper Mark Donaldson, 29, from Newcastle, a Special Air Service soldier, says all soldiers are heroes.
He was presented the award for his rescue of a wounded Afghani interpreter from heavy fire in Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan in September.
The joint Afghan, US and Australian convoy in which he was travelling had come under heavy fire and Trooper Donaldson deliberately attracted enemy attention away from his mates, so they could be taken to safety. This bought time to move injured troops to safety.
He then ran 80 metres across exposed ground to attend to the interpreter.
He carried the man to a vehicle to perform first aid before returning to the fight.
He said the award was overwhelming and a great honour, but it would not change who he was.
"I'm still Mark Donaldson, and we'll keep going from day to day and we'll see how we go," he told reporters after receiving the award.
"I don't see myself as a hero, honestly. I still see myself as a soldier first and foremost."
Trooper Donaldson said he had not really thought about the danger when he went to rescue the stricken interpreter.
"I'm a soldier ... I'm trained to fight, that's what we do. It's instinct and it's natural and you don't really think about it at the time," he said.
"I just saw him there, I went over there and got him, that was it."
Trooper Donaldson said he understood the interpreter had made a full recovery.
He was touched to receive the medal, describing the ceremony as "quite emotional and quite overwhelming".
"It's very humbling and really makes you sit back and take a look at yourself."
"I don't wear this just for my action, it's also for my mates that were there and my mates that are also serving now," he said.
"Every single one of our soldiers that are there serving for the nation are heroes," he said.
He has not decided where to keep the medal, but "probably somewhere pretty safe".
Trooper Donaldson said he hoped to return to Afghanistan later this year, a wish supported by his wife, Emma, with whom he has a two-year-old daughter, Kaylee.
"He was married to the army before he was married to me," Mrs Donaldson said.
"I support him all the way. I'm happy to keep the home front organised and just wait for his return."Top: Trooper Donaldson with his wife, Emma.
Bottom: Trooper Donaldson with Warrant Officer Keith Payne,
who received his Victoria Cross for heroism in Vietnam in 1969.
The award is the highest military honour and only the 97th one to be given to an Australian.
It is the first Victoria Cross for Australia, established in 1991 to replace the Imperial Victoria Cross, to be awarded.
Defence force chief Angus Houston said Trooper Donaldson joined a band of brothers - only 10 VC winners are alive today - admired for their valour.
"Victoria Cross recipients are at the very core of the ethos of which our military identity has been forged," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.
"We, in the modern Australian Defence Force, strive to live up to the heroism and the values of the Victoria Cross recipients that have gone before us."
In keeping with military protocol Air Chief Marshal Houston saluted Trooper Donaldson.
"As the highest ranking member of the Defence Force, there has been no current serving member that I salute, until now," he said.
"Tradition holds that even the most senior officer will salute a Victoria Cross recipient as a mark of the utmost respect for their act of valour."
I don't care what flag you serve (or served) under: that's worth a very formal salute from all of us. Well done, and thank you, Trooper Donaldson.
Peter
1 comment:
I met one MOH holder while I was in the US Air Force. In 1971 at Richards-Gebaur AFB, I was walking between buildings. A CMSGT was approaching me walking the opposite direction. There was a LTC ahead of me and I saw him salute the NCO first.
As the CMSGT walked closer, I could see that little blue ribbon with stars on his uniform. I was proud to salute him. I heard later that he'd earned the MOH during WW2.
Post a Comment