Date of birth:

April 2nd, 1979 (Waratah/New South Wales, Australia)

Nationality:

Australian

Mark Donaldson joined the elite Special Air Service Regiment in 2004 and served in East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. On 2 September 2008, during a Taliban ambush in Oruzgan Province, Donaldson exposed himself to enemy fire to protect wounded comrades and rescued a wounded interpreter under heavy fire. For these actions, he became the first recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, presented by the Governor-General in January 2009. He continued active service with the SASR, deploying again to Afghanistan and rising to the rank of corporal. Named Young Australian of the Year in 2010, he later authored a memoir, The Crossroad, and became Patron-in-Chief of Soldier On, a veterans’ support charity.

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• - Honours
  - Australian Government Defence