Just ordinary people doing a job

By Pte Andrew Hetherington

ONE of Australia’s two living Victoria Cross recipients has launched a new book on Australian VC winners.

Keith Payne launched Victoria Cross – Australia’s Finest and the Battles They Fought, by Anthony Staunton, in the World War II gallery at the Australian War Memorial.

Mr Payne said the book showed that VC recipients were ordinary people.

“It brings to light that we are human beings. A lot of people think that a VC and the recipient of a VC is something special, but to my mind we just did a job,” he said.

“Some people think that you must have gone crazy for a couple of minutes, but we knew exactly what we were doing.”

Mr Payne, who was awarded the decoration for his actions with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in May 1969, said it was over-awing and a great honour to see his name in the book.

When asked of his own experience – in which he rallied outnumbered South Vietnamese troops and rescued some 40 wounded men – Mr Payne said he was, at the time, thinking of getting as many soldiers out of the fire-fight as he could.

“My thoughts were solely on my soldiers and to re-establish a firm base so that I had somewhere to bring the wounded to,” he said.

“After the action I did say to myself and the other blokes that were with us ‘how the heck did we get out of that?’

“It still amazes me that all that ammunition can be thrown your way and you don’t get hit.”