Victoria Cross recipient visits local monument honouring his service

He was alongside his family and friends as he spoke to Seymour College’s Year 11 students and junior school students and observed the iconic war monument.

“I want to thank all the family that are here, all the old friends that are here and the younger generation for being here and looking after Australia in the future,” he said.

The retired soldier gave the crowd an insight into the human side of war, speaking on his time in the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam, which he joined in February 1969.

“We went over as the Australian Army Training Team,” he said.

“We were pushed into joining up with American special forces and given command of Indigenous soldiers in the field.”

Mr Payne was the fourth Australian who served in the Vietnam War to receive the Victoria Cross, and the last to receive the Imperial VC.

It was his actions in May 1969, while commanding the 212th Company of the 1st Mobile Strike Force Battalion, that earned him the honour.

A page dedicated to Mr Payne on the Australian War Memorial’s website says his company was isolated and, although he was wounded in the hands and arms and under heavy fire, he covered the withdrawal as troops began to fall back.

It says he spent three hours scouring the scene of the fight for isolated and wounded soldiers and found 40 wounded men, some of which he rescued himself and others he organised for them to be rescued.

He received his VC from Queen Elizabeth II on April 13, 1970.

Year 11 students Jordyn O’Connell, who has connections to the Australian Army on his mother’s side, and Eliza Carroll-Keays, whose dad is a current serving member stationed at Puckapunyal, had the opportunity to ask Mr Payne questions during his visit.

Jordyn said it was a humanising experience.

“It was a very good experience, it was good hearing it from him,” he said.

“You look at him and realise, ‘oh my God, you went through all of that?’”

Eliza said it was inspiring to hear the stories from someone who actually experienced it first-hand.

“It gives us a little bit of perspective and that deeper understanding of what happened over there,” she said.

“We spend a lot of time in and around army bases and so Keith’s advocacy for returned veterans really hits home for me and the Seymour community.”

When the students asked him what kept him persevering while serving overseas, Mr Payne said it was all down to a woman named Florence.

“My wife of 71 years keeps me going,” he said.