BAREFOOT SOLDIER

Born in 1979 in Grenada as one of eight children, Johnson Beharry lived in a two-bedroom hut, survived on meager meals of beans and rice, and walked barefoot to school. In 1999 he scraped together the airfare for England and joined the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. He served six months in Kosovo, three months in Northern Ireland, and then went to Iraq. In May of 2004, Beharry helped assist a foot patrol caught in a series of ambushes. His vehicle was hit by multiple rocket propelled grenades but he drove through the ambush and extracted his wounded colleagues from the vehicle, all the while exposed to further enemy fire. He was cited on this occasion for "valor of the highest order." While back on duty in June 2004, a rocket propelled grenade hit Beharry's vehicle, incapacitating his commander and injuring several of the crew. Despite his very serious head injuries, Beharry took control of his vehicle and drove it out of the ambush area before losing consciousness. He required brain surgery for his head injuries, and he was still recovering when he was awarded the VC in March 2005.