Private Richard Norden, who fought in the Vietnam War, has been awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross medal more than 50 years after his death.
Announced by Governor-General Samantha Mostyn and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the Remembrance Day service at the Australian War Memorial, the top military honour for Norden comes after a long-term campaign to acknowledge his bravery in Vietnam.
A newspaper clipping from when Richard Norden returned home to Gundagai after being wounded in the Vietnam War.
The citation for Private Norden reads:
For most conspicuous acts of gallantry in action in the presence of the enemy in the ‘AO Surfers’ Area of Operations in the Bien Hoa province, Vietnam, on 14 May 1968 during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral.”
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Private Norden died in active service with the Australian Capital Territory police in 1972.
The prime minister described Norden’s bravery in more detail.
“It has been more than 56 years since fierce fighting at Fire Support Bases Coral and Balmoral saw 25 Australians killed and over 100 wounded,” Albanese said.
“It would be Australia’s longest and deadliest battle of the Vietnam War. The terrible toll would have been higher but for the courage of a 19-year-old private from Gundagai by the name of Richard Norden.”
The PM detailed Norden’s “extraordinary courage” as he advanced under heavy fire on multiple occasions to help wounded members of his platoon, and to safely recover the bodies of those killed.
“Such was his courage, that the enemy soldiers abandoned their positions and, as a result, many more Australian lives were saved.”