Private Richard Leslie Norden, a brave Australian soldier, was honored with the Victoria Cross for his exceptional acts of bravery during the Vietnam War. The posthumous award was given in recognition of his courageous actions during the 1968 Battle of Fire Support Base Coral, where he displayed remarkable selflessness by running towards enemy fire to rescue his wounded section commander and retrieve the body of another fallen comrade.
After successfully bringing back his injured section commander to safety, Private Norden, despite being wounded himself, courageously ventured back into the line of fire to save another member of his platoon who had been shot. Tragically, he discovered that his comrade had been killed but continued to bravely secure the area for the safe retrieval of his fallen comrade's body, which ultimately led to the enemy soldiers retreating and saving many more Australian lives. The announcement of the Victoria Cross for Australia being awarded to Private Norden brought closure and recognition to his heroic actions, more than 50 years after his selfless acts on the battlefield.