00:00It was announced late last year that Private Richard Norton would be awarded the Victoria Cross,
00:06one of just 102 recipients of Australia's highest military honour.
00:10It recognises his extraordinary bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral in 1968,
00:16rescuing his section commander and retrieving the body of another fellow soldier under heavy fire.
00:21The award was formally handed to the family of Private Norton,
00:24who died working as a police officer in Canberra only a few years after he returned from service.
00:29Today's ceremony reflected on the Private's courage and gallantry,
00:33which likely saved the lives of many others beyond the commander he helped pull from battle.
00:38He, along with the countless men and women who have served and sacrificed for their nation,
00:43remind us there are no great people, there are only great challenges,
00:50which ordinary people are forced by circumstances to meet.
00:55And by displaying that greatness on that day, he gave inspiration to everyone who wears our nation's uniform
01:02and gave an expression to what it is to see the sacrifice of the 103,000 Australians
01:08who have lost their life in our nation's service.
01:12And as a result of today's investiture, Private Richard Norton VC and his story now belongs to the ages.
01:21He joins a distinguished list of VC recipients and is just the fifth from the Vietnam War to be recognised.
01:27The announcement of the award late last year did come with some contention,
01:31with concerns aired by some of Richard Norton's family over the time taken considering the Victoria Cross.
01:37It's been more than half a century since Richard Norton's acts of bravery in Vietnam,
01:41but the admiration for his extraordinary actions in harrowing circumstances remains as strong as ever.
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