THE parents of Australia’s 100th Victoria Cross (VC) winner, Corporal Cameron Baird, will return to Kapooka where their son marched out 16 years ago to present an award named in his honour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Cameron Baird VC MG award will be presented to the most outstanding soldier at each recruit march out parade from Friday.
Doug Baird on Tuesday recalled how he and his wife, Faye, attended their son’s march out parade in February, 2000, when he was named most outstanding soldier.
And it is with great pride that they will return to the place where Corporal Baird’s distinguished military career began to present the same award to another promising soldier.
“We are extremely honoured and feel very humbled that the guys at Kapooka have named this award after Cameron,” Mr Baird said.
Corporal Baird was killed in operations in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province on June 22, 2013.
A Commando team leader, he died aged 32 during an assault on insurgents during which he repeatedly engaged the enemy and drew fire away from his team members.
He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross – the highest award in the Australian honours system – in February, 2014, for his valour and self sacrifice in the assault.
Mr Baird said he thought his son would probably feel embarrassed about having an award named after him.
“He would think he is not deserving, but that is the sort of guy he was,” Mr Baird said.
“It’s been a goal for us to get back to Kapooka, and a dream for us to do this.”
Before being awarded the Victoria Cross, Corporal Baird was awarded Australia’s third highest military award – the Medal for Gallantry (MG) – for his actions in a search and clearance operation of a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan in 2007.
Vietnam War Victoria Cross winner, Keith Payne, and his wife, Flo, will also be VIP guests at the march out parade.
Mr Baird said the two couples were great friends.
While in Wagga, the Bairds and Paynes will attend the Wagga White Ribbon Gala Ball against domestic violence on Friday night.
“We just need to ensure there is no violence against women in our society, and it’s our way of trying to stop it,” Mr Baird said.
Commandant of the Army Recruit Training Centre, Colonel Mick Garraway, said it was fitting to rename the outstanding soldier award in honour of Corporal Baird.
“And we are very grateful to have his parents there to witness it,” Colonel Garraway said.
“Linking the valour of Corporal Baird to an award for our newest soldiers is a moving reminder for all our recruits - and also to their friends and families gathered for the march out - of what being an Australian soldier means.”