Australian soldier receives highest military honour
- 12 years ago
(ROUGH CUT ONLY - NO REPORTER NARRATION)
Royal Australian Regiment Corporal Daniel Keighran received the nation's highest military honour in Canberra on Thursday (November 1), for extraordinary courage shown when he repeatedly drew enemy fire in a battle in Afghanistan in 2010.
The 29-year-old Keighran received the Victoria Cross for an incident in which his company faced at least 100 insurgents during a battle at Derapet in Oruzgan Province.
Local media said the infantry soldier repeatedly broke cover in a hail of Taliban gunfire and helped clear the way for the rescue of casualties.
They also reported that Keighran is the third Australian soldier to receive the award for action in Afghanistan, and the first soldier outside the special forces.
Keighran dedicated his award to the soldiers with whom he worked.
"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the boys with me that day, the support they provided me was excellent. As I said, it is as much theirs as it is mine," he said.
Royal Australian Regiment Corporal Daniel Keighran received the nation's highest military honour in Canberra on Thursday (November 1), for extraordinary courage shown when he repeatedly drew enemy fire in a battle in Afghanistan in 2010.
The 29-year-old Keighran received the Victoria Cross for an incident in which his company faced at least 100 insurgents during a battle at Derapet in Oruzgan Province.
Local media said the infantry soldier repeatedly broke cover in a hail of Taliban gunfire and helped clear the way for the rescue of casualties.
They also reported that Keighran is the third Australian soldier to receive the award for action in Afghanistan, and the first soldier outside the special forces.
Keighran dedicated his award to the soldiers with whom he worked.
"I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the boys with me that day, the support they provided me was excellent. As I said, it is as much theirs as it is mine," he said.