Keith Payne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keith Payne
Keith Payne in 2015
Born	(1933-08-30) 30 August 1933 (age 91) Ingham, Queensland
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1951–1975
Rank	Warrant Officer Class II
Unit	Royal Australian Regiment Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
Battles/wars	Korean War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Vietnam War Dhofar War
Awards	Victoria Cross Member of the Order of Australia Distinguished Service Cross (United States) Silver Star (United States) Cross of Gallantry (Vietnam)
Other work	Counselling sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder

Keith Payne (born 30 August 1933) is a brave retired Australian soldier. He received the Victoria Cross (VC), which is the highest award for courage given to soldiers in Australia and other Commonwealth countries. This special medal is given for incredible bravery when facing the enemy. Keith Payne earned his Victoria Cross during the Vietnam War. He is currently the last living Australian to have received the original Imperial Victoria Cross.

Early Life and Army Start

Keith Payne was born in Ingham, Queensland, Australia, on 30 August 1933. When he was young, he learned to be a cabinet-maker. However, he wanted a different kind of work. In August 1951, he joined the Australian Regular Army. He quickly became part of the Royal Australian Regiment, which is a famous army group.

Military Career and Heroic Actions

Keith Payne served in several important conflicts. He was a soldier in the Korean War from 1952 to 1953. Later, he also served in Malaya. By 1965, he had become a sergeant. He continued to rise through the ranks, becoming a warrant officer class II.

Bravery in the Vietnam War

In 1969, Keith Payne was sent to the Vietnam War. He was leading a group of soldiers called the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion. One day in May 1969, his company was attacked by a strong enemy force. They were surrounded on three sides, and the Vietnamese soldiers he was leading began to retreat.

During the intense fighting, Keith Payne was badly hurt by a grenade. Pieces of the grenade hit his head, arms, and hands. Even though he was seriously wounded, he bravely stayed to cover his soldiers as they pulled back. He then helped organize them into a safe defensive area.

After making sure his group was somewhat safe, Keith Payne did something truly amazing. He ignored his own serious injuries and went back into the dangerous battlefield. For three hours, often under heavy enemy fire, he searched for any soldiers who were left behind. He found about 40 of his men, and most of them were wounded. He personally helped some of the injured and arranged help for others. Then, he led the entire group safely back to their base, even though the enemy now controlled the area.

Awards and Recognition

Keith Payne's incredible bravery that night earned him the Victoria Cross. This award was officially announced on 19 September 1969. He received his Victoria Cross from Queen Elizabeth II herself in Brisbane on 13 April 1970.

He also received other important awards for his courage. The United States gave him the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star. The Republic of Vietnam also honored him with the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star.

After his service in Vietnam, Keith Payne continued his military career. He retired from the Australian Army in 1975. However, he still wanted to help. He later served as a captain with the Sultan of Oman's Royal Army in the Dhofar War from 1975 to 1976.

Life After the Army

After returning to Australia, Keith Payne dedicated his life to helping others. He became very active in supporting veterans, especially those who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a condition that can affect people who have experienced very stressful or scary events, like war. Keith Payne helps them cope and heal.

Keith Payne and his wife, Florence (Flo) Plaw, raised five sons. They live in Mackay, Queensland. Both Keith and Flo have been recognized for their service to the community. Keith received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2006 for his work with veterans. Flo received her OAM in 2011 for her community service, especially through surf lifesaving and supporting veterans' families.

Keith Payne has also been featured in a television show called Victoria Cross Heroes, which shared his story of bravery. A mental health ward at Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane is named the Keith Payne Unit (KPU) in his honor.

In June 2015, Keith Payne was given an even higher honor when he became a Member of the Order of Australia. This award recognized his "significant service to veterans and their families as an ambassador, patron and as an advocate for veterans' health and welfare." He also attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 and the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.

Honours and Awards

	Victoria Cross (VC)	19 September 1969
	Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	8 June 2015
	Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)	26 January 2006
	Australian Active Service Medal 1945–1975	with clasps for KOREA, MALAYSIA, VIETNAM and THAI-MALAY
	Korea Medal
	United Nations Service Medal for Korea
	General Service Medal (1962)	with MALAY PENINSULA clasp
	Vietnam Medal
	Australian Service Medal 1945–1975	with clasps KOREA, SE ASIA and PNG
	Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	1977
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal	2002
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012
	Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal	2022
	King Charles III Coronation Medal	2 May 2024
	Centenary Medal	1 January 2001
	Defence Force Service Medal with 2 clasps	25–29 years service
	National Medal	25 January 1982
	Australian Defence Medal
	Meritorious Service Medal (Australia)
	Long Service and Good Conduct Medal – Army
	Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
	Silver Star (USA)
	Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star (South Vietnam)
	Vietnam Campaign Medal (South Vietnam)
	Dhofar Campaign Medal (Oman)	Also referred to as: General Service Medal (Oman)
	Dhofar Victory Medal (Oman)	Also referred to as: Endurance Medal (Al-Sumood) (Oman)
	Pingat Jasa Malaysia (Malaysia)
	Republic of Korea War Service Medal (South Korea)

Unit awards

	Meritorious Unit Commendation (USA)	Worn by members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam
	Cross of Gallantry with Palm Unit Citation (South Vietnam)	Worn by members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam