LONDON (Reuters) - A soldier who twice saved himself and the crew of his armoured vehicle from ambushes in Iraq was awarded the country's highest military honour on Wednesday, the first recipient of a Victoria Cross since 1982.
Private Johnson Beharry, 25, of the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, who emigrated to Britain from the Caribbean island of Grenada, was presented with his medal by the Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
He was cited for "valour of the highest order" after he drove out of an ambush of rocket-propelled grenades and extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle while under fire in May 2004.
Six weeks later, his vehicle was again attacked by rockets. His commander and other troops were incapacitated and he was seriously wounded in the head, but he kept driving to safety until he lost consciousness, the Ministry of Defence said.
His citation reads: "For his repeated extreme gallantry and unquestioned valour, despite intense direct attacks, personal injury and damage to his vehicle in the face of relentless enemy action, Private Beharry deserves the highest possible recognition."
Only a handful of recipients are still alive, mostly veterans of World War Two, and Beharry becomes the first living soldier to be awarded a VC since 1969.
"The Queen said it's not very often she gets to give this award out and she's quite happy today," Beharry told reporters after the ceremony.
"I'm honoured to receive it. Having the medal is great, but when I've done it, I didn't do it for medals.
"Looking back on it, if I hadn't done it I wouldn't be able to live with myself today."
The medal was first awarded by Queen Victoria in 1857 for bravery during the Crimean War. The criteria for receiving a VC are strict and it is one of the most rarely awarded military honours, with only 11 given out since 1945.
The last two recipients were Ian John McKay and Herbert Jones, both of whom died charging enemy positions during the Falklands War in 1982.
All Victoria Cross medals are struck of bronze from two cannons captured from Russia during the siege of Sevastopol 150 years ago.
Beharry was joined at Wednesday's ceremony by about 140 other British troops awarded honours for roles around the world.
Ellen MacArthur, who broke the record for sailing solo around the world in February, was also awarded her Damehood becoming at 28 the youngest person ever to receive the honour.
