Private Johnson Beharry has been awarded the Victoria Cross. The full citation reads as follows:
"Private Beharry carried out two individual acts of great heroism by which he saved the lives of his comrades.
Both were in direct face of the enemy, under intense fire, at great personal risk to himself (one leading to him sustaining very serious injuries).
His valour is worthy of the highest recognition."
Rest is to be found here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4360461.stm
It's the first VC awarded since the Falklands, and we've been engaged in a few places since then, so congrats to this guy.
Another bit:
The impact of this rocket destroyed Beharry's armoured periscope, so he was forced to drive the vehicle through the remainder of the ambushed route, some 1,500 metres long, with his hatch opened up and his head exposed to enemy fire, all the time with no communications with any other vehicle.
During this long surge through the ambushes the vehicle was again struck by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.
While his head remained out of the hatch, to enable him to see the route ahead, he was directly exposed to much of this fire, and was himself hit by a 7.62mm bullet, which penetrated his helmet and remained lodged on its inner surface.
Despite this harrowing weight of incoming fire Beharry continued to push through the extended ambush, still leading his platoon until he broke clean.
Now who knows the best American equivalent to Victoria Cross? Silver Star? Medal of Honor?
It is equivalent to the Medal of Honor. It is the highest award withing their military and, like the medal of honor, requires extreme heroism in the face of enemy fire.
IIRC one of the big differences is that the Victoria Cross there was at one time not awarded posthumously whereas the MOH has often been awarded to those who died in their efforts. I believe that in recent years this has changed both awards are held to very similar criteria.
c_yeager
IIRC one of the big differences is that the Victoria Cross there was at one time not awarded posthumously whereas the MOH has often been awarded to those who died in their efforts. I believe that in recent years this has changed both awards are held to very similar criteria.
"Recently" was 1920, according to this website. http://www.victoriacross.net/facts.asp
I think I heard somewhere that most VCs have infact been awarded posthmously, but I couldn't find any statistics to back it up.
I think I heard somewhere that most VCs have infact been awarded posthmously, but I couldn't find any statistics to back it up.
I dont think so. If they didnt start to award them posthumously untill 1920 then there have only been relatively few given out. If you check out the stats on the page you linked ( http://www.victoriacross.net/stats.asp ) even if we assume that ALL of the awards issued post-1920 were posthumous then they still dont come anywhere near the majority.
1156 awarded from 1858-1919
198 awarded post 1920