The Scotsman - Opinion - Saluting the selfless heroes

A hats off and a thank you to Private Johnson Beharry of the UK, who led thirty comrades to safety in Iraq last year, despite severe wounds, and who is being awarded the Victoria Cross - the first awarded in more than two decades, according to this editorial in the Scotsman.

...We also salute the other 140 servicemen and women who have been awarded medals and citations for bravery in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and the Balkans. Their willingness to sacrifice for their colleagues represents more than professionalism; it is an example of selflessness that is sadly lacking in much of civilian life.

Yet there is one sour note. A number of those receiving decorations are soldiers of regiments such as the Black Watch which are to disappear in a series of unnecessary Treasury cuts. What better way of recognising the contribution of the men and women being honoured today than to preserve the regiments in which they learned their courage and esprit de corps?