Britain's newest hero is a Nepali.
Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday awarded Britain's second-highest award for bravery, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, to Acting Sgt. Dipprasad Pun of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.
While stationed as a lone sentry at a checkpoint in Afghanistan's Helmand province on September 17, Pun fended off an attack by up to 30 Taliban fighters.
"There were many Taliban around me," Pun said in an interview with British Forces News. "I thought they are definitely going to kill me. ... I thought before they kill me I have to kill some of them."
During the 15-minute battle, Pun fired more than 400 rounds of ammunition, detonated 17 grenades and a mine and even threw his gun tripod at a Taliban fighter climbing toward his position, according to British Forces News.
"He was just about to climb up there and I hit (him) with my tripod and he fell down again," Pun told British Forces News.
Pun's actions saved the lives of three fellow soldiers at the checkpoint and were the "bravest seen in his battalion over two hard tours in Afghanistan," according to his medal citation.
Pun was not wounded in the firefight.
“That he survived unscathed is simply incredible," his medal citation says. “Throughout Dip’s actions he was under almost constant intense fire. Dip’s courage and gallantry were simply astonishing."
Pun, 31, joined the British military in 2000 and also has served in Bosnia and Kosovo.
Like other Gurkhas, Pun is from Nepal. The Gurkhas were incorporated into British forces after their fighting skill impressed the opposition British during the Nepal Wars of 1814 to 1816. As part of the peace treaty ending that conflict, Gurkhas were admitted into East India Company's army and then into the British military.
Gurkhas recruited solely in Nepal remain Nepalese citizens during their service. Gurkha unit officers are British.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Awesome....these guys have a history of being fierce and fearless fighters....way to go...send those clowns to their maker
I smell hollywood!!
Or at least Bollywood!
and We have Kollywood, back in Nepal...haha
Well Done Sgt
took one out with his tripod. wow!
Did he kill or injure any of those Taliban fighters?
He killed 3 of them before the rest fled.
lol sound's like he had a 60 an plenty of grenade's they are all dead and wounded i promise you , the real question is why did the other 3 guy's have thier d1ck in thier hand?
Awesome...shows you how retarded the Taliban fighters are. LOL. One Napalese guy fends off 30 of you morons? How embarrassing.
That is freaking KA! Thats some Matrix sh** right there!
What?! He pulls this off and gets the *second* highest award? I sense some deep seated racism here. Were he "properly" British I bet he'd be covered in awards.
Troll
You have to die in order to get the highest award. For example – The highest American award – The Medal of Honor – is almost always given after death.
Maybe you're just projecting some deep-seated racism? Reverse racism?
No this is not racist. The Victoria Cross is the most difficult medal in the world to be awarded. If he had taken down a couple of tanks, 30 Taliban and had been gravely wounded in the process, maybe then he might have been awarded the Cross.
Don't take away anything from this man for the medal he did receive, it is still a very rare honour. As for the Gurkhas retaining their Nepalise citizenship, this has been the tradition of the British Army for more than 100 years. They are an extremely elite fighting force. And I dare say couild go up against the best America has to offer and win every time. Also, the Gurkhas are given the opportunity to become British citizens once their service is complete. They are very highly regarded by the British people.
Second highest? what does it take to get the highest!?
I totally agre with you,Chris. But then again,what do I know? I'm just an ignorant Tea Partier ageeing with all you right-wing fanatics as I myself am one!
I think if he had been wounded, he would have gotten the VC
Usually awarded posthumously.
likely being born on british soil.
you have to be white
"joe
you have to be white"
A well researched comment joe. White like this guy – http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4488247.stm
YABBA-DABBA-DOO,this guy's a living saint if I do say so myself. You right-wing blowhards sure do have that right!!! Keep the belly-hooing up!!!
Sorry...I just don't buy it...Sounds like a Jessica Lynch/Pat Tillman job to me...
The taliwhackers are not the "desert lions' and 'jump through fire' heroes their 'arabiwood' movies portray. Nice work, Sgt.! Keep up the carnivorousness.
They also have knives.
"If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or is a Gurkha."
Why are we glorifying war? We are all the same God.
Not on this planet.
Good luck with that.
You mean we're all from the same dog - up close, we're all a bunch of SOBs.
preach that to 30 soldiers gunning towards you, if you survived you ll definitely get nobel peace prize
yet again cnn doesnt tell the entire story...go to http://www.badassoftheweek.com and view the entire true story there
OK... THAT is some freaking hilarious sh1t... Over the top? yes, but still freaking hilarious...