An Australian soldier fighting in the Vietnam War ignored standing procedures and exposed himself to enemy gunfire to save an injured friend, a Defence tribunal has heard.
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Brisbane veteran Ian Reid has appealed to the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal for consideration for a Victoria Cross, the highest award bestowed to Australian Defence personnel who have shown gallantry or valour in the presence of the enemy.
A hearing in Canberra on Tuesday was told Defence officials had previously found no merit in Mr Reid's appeal for an honour, despite a long running campaign by some of his fellow soldiers.
Six witnesses appeared before the independent appeals tribunal, which will make a recommendation to the federal government about the case.
As a 20-year-old Private in the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Mr Reid was caught up in sustained firefight on the night of April 30, 1970, when he went to the aid of Newcastle-born Noel William Cooper who had been shot in the throat and was bleeding profusely from his jugular vein.
The rifleman and medic held Private Cooper upright in a paddy field for at least 39 minutes, exposing his back to shooting by the enemy and likely saving Private Cooper's life as they waited in the dark for a helicopter rescue.
The hearing considered the locations of various people involved in the gunfight, while members of the tribunal asked how Mr Reid's actions compared with previous recipients of the Victoria Cross and if another military honour could be more appropriate.
A fellow soldier who witnessed Mr Reid's actions told the tribunal he was amazed by Mr Reid's bravery and later reported the events to superiors.
"For God's sake, get down," John Abernethy recalled thinking to himself.
"I said he was a bloody hero. He was fully exposed... that's bravery. I said he certainly deserves to be recognised because I was scared stiff.
"I was scared stiff and I was behind cover. He was keeping a man alive, fully exposed."
Mr Reid said he didn't know why he hadn't dragged Private Cooper to cover, as other soldiers were hugging the ground with bullets flying above them.
He said he was embarrassed to have had his back to the enemy while trying to stem bleeding from Private Cooper's neck, "because any decent soldier faces his enemy".
"It was so dark, I felt for the wound. I felt down his neck and my two fingers disappeared into the hole in his neck," he said.
Mr Reid said his training and field manual instructed soldiers to keep undercover during shooting, rather than going to the aid of others.
"I would have been following my training if I'd left him up there and taken cover myself," he said.
"Keep under cover, you help nobody by getting yourself killed or wounded. This is not from a Red Cross manual, the is the 7RAR soldiers' field book," he said.
The statutory tribunal will make a non-binding recommendation on the case to Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan in coming months.
