Mark Donaldson VC
- February 9th, 2009
- Posted by EUEditor
Trooper Mark Donaldson, 29, became the 96th Australian to receive the Victoria Cross (16.1.09) at a ceremony in Canberra.
In South-eastern Afghanistan on 2.9.08 he had acted alone under heavy Taliban fire, engaging the enemy with his carbine and shoulder-fired rockets, to allow wounded soldiers to be dragged to safety.
After deliberately drawing fire, he then ran to rescue an Afghan interpreter who was wounded.
Several allied soldiers, Afghan and American, and nine Australian special forces were wounded in the action – a Taliban ambush.
Just over one-thousand Australians are deployed with the NATO command in Afghanistan.
Picture: Trooper Donaldson with wife and daughter, Emma and Kaylee, visiting the Australian War Memorial. WO2 G. McBean, ADF