Sunday, January 23, 2011

Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, VC

From the Telegraph:

The Victoria Cross citation said the soldier's actions showed "most conspicuous gallantry" and "total disregard for his own safety". His bravery was a living enactment of a pledge tattooed across his chest: "I will not fail my brothers".

Corporal Roberts-Smith described how his platoon came under heavy fire as he lead a patrol in northern Kandahar Province last June 11, with two men to his left pinned down and dangerously exposed as gunfire ripping up the ground around them.

"One of them was copping a lot," he said. "He couldn't even fight back, couldn't move. At that point I decided I'd had enough. I wasn't going to wait until someone got hit.

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2011 at 9:44 PM

    Makes me feel proud to know that the ANZAC spirit is still in Australian soldiers today.

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  2. Writer Of The Purple SageJanuary 24, 2011 at 5:52 PM

    Let's hope the Oz press doesn't publish his photo when he goes back into the field, like the NZ Herald did of Willie Apiata VC.
    Respect the man, but don't capitalise on him and risk his operational security for the sake of mere sales...
    [ http://yardyyardyyardy.blogspot.com/2010/01/following-mondays-al-qaeda-attacks-in.html ]

    Philbee, NZ

    ReplyDelete
  3. MattJanuary 25, 2011 at 3:09 PM

    God, bless him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2011 at 8:49 PM

    I watched the Australia Day awards last night. Oddly lots of Proffesors wanted a republic, but others like the other Aussie VC said it should happen in many years or never.

    To say the least Australian republicans are fighting a losing battle.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 26, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    Well done Corporal Roberts-Smith VC!

    Now if we could only have the AK, PC and QC fully restored and the annual misguided and boring 'republican hijack of our National Day' removed. I would truly be most pleased

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  6. AnonymousMay 16, 2012 at 4:55 AM

    It is 1330hrs, 16 May 2012. I have only a couple of weeks to live. I served in the ARA for 23 years. An hour ago I received a phone call from Cpl Ben Roberts-Smith VC. He said "Hi John I've heard you're not travelling too well". He wished me all the best and said he and his family would be thinking of me. No words can express the pride and gratitude I feel for Ben and to do this for an old bloke like me is unbelievable. God Bless and keep you safe Ben. Australia needs men like you.

    ReplyDelete