RAA Liaison Letter 2024 - 2025 Edition

RAA L I A I SON L ETTER – 2024 – 2025 E D I T I ON C ANNON BALL S UP PLEMENT 147 he was awarded the DCM he said the governor remarked: “What do you have to do to get the VC?” Matt Keogh, Minister for Veterans, said the matter is in the hands of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. A spokesperson for the deputy prime minister said: “Private Richard Norden is one of those who bravely wore our nation’s uniform, displaying tremendous courage and mateship.” Four VCs have been awarded to Vietnam servicemen. The last posthumous VC was awarded three years ago to Edward “Teddy” Sheean, who was killed in the Second World War. Private Richard Norden awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery during the Vietnam War ABC News: By defence correspondent Andrew Greene with additional reporting by Jess Scully Monday 11 November The late Private Richard Norden has been awarded Australia's highest military honour. (Supplied: Government House) I N SHORT : P RIVATE R ICHARD N ORDEN HAS BEEN POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED A V ICTORIA C ROSS FOR HIS BRAVERY DURING THE V IETNAM W AR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO . T HE V ICTORIA C ROSS IS A USTRALIA ' S HIGHEST MILITARY HONOUR . I T WAS AWARDED FOR P RIVATE N ORDEN ' S ACTIONS DURING THE BATTLE OF F IRE S UPPORT B ASE C ORAL IN 1968, WHERE HE RAN INTO ENEMY FIRE TO REACH A WOUNDED COMRADE . An Australian soldier who ran into enemy fire during the Vietnam War to reach a wounded comrade and retrieve the body of another has been awarded a Victoria Cross for bravery. Private Richard Leslie Norden posthumously received the award for "most conspicuous acts of gallantry" during the war. Following a Remembrance Day service at the Australian War Memorial, Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the nation's highest military honour for Private Norden, who died after the war. During the 1968 Battle of Fire Support Base Coral, the young soldier showed extraordinary bravery by running towards North Vietnamese enemy fire to retrieve his section commander who had been shot. After managing to drag his commander successfully back to safety, the already wounded Private Norden again placed himself in grave danger trying to save another member of his platoon who had been shot. "On discovering his comrade had been killed, he fought on, clearing the area so his body could be safely recovered," the prime minister said. "Such was his courage, that the enemy soldiers abandoned their positions and, as a result, many more Australian lives were saved. These deeds are more than worthy of the highest military honour our nation can bestow, the Victoria Cross for Australia." Michael McCormack, who was representing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, said Australia owed Private Norden a "great debt of gratitude". Ms Mostyn said the king had approved the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia to the late soldier from Gundagai, in rural New South Wales. The Remembrance Day announcement came more than two years after the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal recommended Private Norden receive the bravery award. The 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment rifleman returned from the war to serve as Australian Capital Territory police officer but died on duty in a 1972 motorcycle accident. Former governor-general and defence chief Sir Peter Cosgrove, a longtime advocate for awarding Private Norden, said he was delighted at the news. "Dick Norden was a very brave soldier … he had been involved in an action that was just breathtaking in Vietnam," Sir Peter said. "All these years later to hear that it's now been identified, that is fitting. That is a great thing for all of those veterans who would've known Dick Norden." Sidney James "Jim" McDonnell fought on the battlefield at Coral and grew up with Richard Norden and his older brother Roger. "He was just a down-to-earth ordinary fella," he said of Private Norden. None of us were heroes, but when it came to your turn to get in and have a go, he was in the position where he went forward and did what he had to do." Australia's four other Victoria Cross recipients were members of the Army Training Team. Private Norden is the first veteran of the 1st Australian Task Force to receive the honour.