The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration awarded
for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed
forces of some Commonwealth countries and previous British Empire
territories.
The following is an excerpt from the plaque at the rest area,
and is based on the original citation,
Kevin Arthur Wheatley VC 29890 Warrant Officer Class II Kevin
Arthur WHEATLEY Australian Army Training Team Vietnam 13 November
1965, at Tra Bong Valley, Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam
On 13th November 1965 at approximately 1300 hours, a Vietnamese
Civil Irregular Defence Group company commenced a search and
destroy operation in the Tra Bong Valley. Accompanying the force
were Captain F Fazekas and Warrant Officers KA Wheatley and RG
Swanton. At about 1340 hours, Warrant Officer Wheatley reported
contact with the enemy. Enemy resistance strengthened and finally
Warrant Officer Wheatley asked for assistance. Captain Fazekas
immediately organised the centre platoon to help and personally led
and fought towards the action area. While moving forward he
received another radio message from Warrant Officer Wheatley to say
that Warrant Officer Swanton had been hit in the chest, and
requested an air strike and an aircraft, for the evacuation of
casualties.
At about this time the right platoon broke in the face of heavy
enemy fire and began to scatter. Although told by the medical
assistant that Warrant Officer Swanton was dying, Warrant Officer
Wheatley refused to abandon him. He discarded his radio to enable
him to half drag, half carry Warrant Officer Swanton, under heavy
machine-gun and automatic rifle fire, out of the open rice paddies
into the comparative safety of a wooded area, some 200 metres away.
He was assisted by a Private Dinh Do who, when the Viet Cong were
only some ten metres away, urged him to leave his dying comrade.
Again he refused, and was seen to pull the pins from two grenades
and calmly awaited the enemy, holding one grenade in each hand.
Shortly afterwards, two grenade explosions were heard, followed by
several bursts of small arms fire. The two bodies were found at
first light next morning after the fighting had ceased, with
Warrant Officer Wheatley lying beside Warrant Officer Swanton. Both
had died of gunshot wounds.
"Warrant Officer Wheatley displayed magnificent courage in the
face of an overwhelming Viet Cong force which was later estimated
at more than a company. He had the clear choice of abandoning a
wounded comrade and saving himself by escaping or of staying with
Warrant Officer Swanton and thereby facing certain death. He
deliberately chose the latter course. His acts of heroism,
determination and unflinching loyalty in the face of the enemy will
always stand as examples of the true meaning of valour". (London
Gazette: 13 December 1996; Supplement, 15 December 1966).
Kevin Arthur WHEATLEY was born in Sydney on 13 March 1937. He
was buried at Pine Grove Memorial Park, Blacktown, New South
Wales.
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