A Little Better

From Michelle Malkin's blog comes a story that makes me feel a little better about our Limey cohorts. It also gives the impression that their media is even worse about reporting the good news than our media is.

British Private Johnson Gideon Beharry of 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, has been awarded the Victoria Cross for services set forth in two separate incidents. Pvt Beharry is the first Soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross since 1982, and is the first living recipient since 1965. Not for lack of trying though, Pvt Beharry managed to place himself squarely in harm's way not once but twice. Men of this caliber are rightly honored (or perhaps that should be honoured).

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration that can be awarded to British armed forces, equivalent to the Congressional Medal of Honor in the United States.

The first incident came about on 1 May 2004 when Pvt Beharry drove his damaged Warrior vehicle through an ambush, relying on guts and instinct after his platoon commander (riding in his vehicle) and his gunner were both injured and taken out of the fight. He led 5 other Warrior vehicles through the ambush site, then rescued both his commander and gunner before submitting to medical treatment himself.

The second incident happened on 11 June 2004 when, once again at the helm of the lead Warrior, he encountered yet another ambush and was seriously injured when an RPG detonated on the front armor of his vehicle, mere inches from his head. He once again maneuvered his vehicle clear of the ambush zone before losing consciousness, enabling the occupants of his vehicle to be extracted away from enemy gunfire.

Members of the British Royal Navy and Marines should pay attention. This is how a warrior conducts himself in the face of the enemy.

Photo (amazingly enough) from the AP