Modern Victoria Cross awards.
There have been two Victoria Crosses awarded in recent conflicts - The first was to Private Johnson Beharry VC, the first person since 1965 to be awarded Britain's highest award for gallantry while still alive. A 27-year-old native of Grenada, who came to Britain in 1999 and joined the British Army in 2001, he was a member of the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment when he was posted to Iraq in April 2004. He was awarded the VC on March 18, 2005
On August 20th 2006 in the Helmand area of Afghanistan, the 24 men of a patrol from A company of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment came under fire with several soldiers suffering gunshot wounds. Corporal Bryan Budd charged the enemy position while firing with his SA80 rifle on fully automatic. Soon afterwards the enemy's fire dropped off and the soldier's section was able to break away from the contact. For the heroic action Corporal Budd was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross
