A young Australian soldier who ran towards enemy fire during the Vietnam War, to reach his wounded comrades, will receive the countries highest military honour. The heroic actions of Private Richard Norden are being recognised with a Victorian Cross more than 50 years after he risked his life on the battlefield.
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00:00At the height of the Vietnam War, in flat terrain close to the enemy, the Australian
00:07Army set up a defensive position trying to prevent attacks on Saigon, among those at
00:13fire support base Coral, 19-year-old private Richard Norton.
00:18Such was his courage that the enemy soldiers abandoned their positions and as a result
00:24many more Australian lives were saved.
00:27In what would become Australia's deadliest battle of the war, the young soldier repeatedly
00:32risked his life to reach wounded comrades.
00:36His Majesty has approved the awarding of the Victoria Cross for Australia.
00:41On May 14, 1968, his platoon came under attack from up to 10 North Vietnamese soldiers.
00:49Private Norton ran forward under heavy fire, killing one of the enemy.
00:53Out of ammunition, he seized another weapon which he kept firing, then half-carried, half-dragged
01:00his severely wounded section commander to safety.
01:04Injured himself, he again pressed forward, discovering the body of an Australian soldier
01:09and cleared the area to allow it to be recovered.
01:12He was already wounded.
01:14It was almost certainly every time he went forward he must have thought, this is it.
01:18Returning to Canberra after the war, he served as a police officer.
01:22Before dying in a motorcycle accident in 1972 while on duty.
01:28Private Norton's supporters have waited more than half a century for him to be recognised
01:33with a Victoria Cross.
01:35Two years ago a defence tribunal formally recommended the move and today his widow says
01:41the family is honoured their hero is finally receiving this country's highest military
01:47award.