Despite this, he led his crew and five other vehicles to safety then got his wounded colleagues out of the vehicle. The second time (just a month later) the Corporal–Lance Corporal at this point – was actually hit in the head by shrapnel, later needing brain surgery to remove it. His unit was the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
Johnson was the first recipient of the VC since it was awarded posthumously to two soldiers who took part in the Falklands War in 1982 and he was its first living recipient since two soldiers received the award for their services in Vietnam in 1969. What makes Beharry a particularly motivational speaker is that audiences love his stories of incredible bravery, not just on the battlefield but when he came home to recover as well. And he tells people about the war as it was, rather than how it is portrayed by others who weren't there.
But even a couple of moments of amazingly impressive valour do not define Corporal Johnson Gideon Beharry VC. As well as the Victoria Cross he has been awarded the Kosovo Medal for service in Kosovo and the Iraq Medal for service in Iraq. He also served for three months in Northern Ireland. In recent years, Beharry has worked in public relations for the Household Division (where he holds the title of Lance Sergeant), has written his autobiography Barefoot Soldier, and carried the torch for the London Olympics of 2012. He also made it to the semi-finals of the Dancing on Ice TV programme.
