Albert Duke Of York Lodge No 4920 – A Special Visitor
At the February meeting the members and guests of Albert Duke of York Lodge No 4920 were enthralled by the story of Johnson Beharry’s life and the action which led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honour.
A guest of the Lodge Treasurer, Jason Gerrard, Sergeant Beharry spoke to the brethren following the meeting. He spoke movingly about his troubled upbringing in Grenada, his move to the UK, where he was involved in drugs and gang culture, and the thing that inspired him to make something of his life by joining the army.
It was whilst deployed to Iraq that Beharry was twice involved in contact with opposing forces which resulted in him receiving serious wounds. However, despite his injuries and whilst under constant fire, he managed to rescue several colleagues from his burning armoured vehicle, many who were also injured.
Warrant Officer 2nd Class Beharry is still a soldier in the army and plays an important role discussing the challenges of mental health and injuries sustained in combat. He has also started a charity, the JBVC Foundation (https://www.jbvc-foundation.org.uk/who-we- are), which aims to help young people leave street gangs and develop sustainable careers.
All the money raised at the Lodge night was to be donated to the JBVC Foundation and the members and guests dug deep for the raffle and money from the Relief Chest would also be donated to assist Brother Johnson in helping more young people turn their lives around.
Brother Johnson Beharry VC COG ( Companion of the Order of Grenada) – Wikicommons free to use.
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-johnson-beharrys-victoria-cross-reveals-about-modern-conflict
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Beharry
