Doug and Kaye Baird proudly wore their son's Victoria Cross medal to a private meeting with the Queen, nine months after accepting the military's highest accolade on behalf of their heroic son.
Corporal Baird, 32, was killed in mid-2013 as he assaulted an insurgent-held compound during a special forces mission in Afghanistan.
He posthumously became the 100th Australian to be awarded The Victoria Cross in February.
“We would have loved it for Cameron to be here representing himself, but under the circumstances, we hope we’ve done him proud,” Mrs Baird said, following their thirty-minute meeting with the Queen.
“He’d be up there laughing and I think he’d be saying “go for it dad!,” Mr Baird said, who wore his fallen son’s medals to Buckingham Palace.
A private audience is an honour Her Majesty has extended to all of Australia's Victoria Cross recipients and the Commando’s parents said they were humbled to meet with The Queen on their son’s behalf.
“One of his strengths was that he had empathy for everybody and he treated everybody equal and I think at the end of the day it was respect that he earned not only as an instructor, but also as a soldier," Mr Baird said.
“I think that’s what shone through”.
“There was a comment that was made by the Regiment Sergeant Major of the Army that Cameron was possibly one of our greatest soldiers ever”.
Corporal Baird served in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was awarded the Medal of Gallantry and later the Victoria Cross in recognition of for his most conspicuous acts of valour, extreme devotion to duty and ultimate self-sacrifice as a Commando Team Commander.
Corporal Baird became the 40th Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan following a fatal firefight with Taliban fighters at Ghawchak village on 22 June 2013.
Corporal Baird’s Victoria Cross citation speaks of a soldier who acted “with complete disregard for his own safety” to draw enemy fire away from a comrade who was seriously injured during a helicopter assault on the Taliban stronghold.
Mr. and Mrs. Baird were joined in London by Australia’s four surviving Victoria Cross recipients- Keith Payne VC, Mark Donaldson VC, Ben Roberts-Smith VC and Dan Keighran VC.
“They have been absolutely phenomenal," Mrs Baird said. “They’re great soldiers, but they’re also great human beings”.
The 23 members of the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association have travelled from across the Commonwealth for the biennial royal reunion, attending receptions with The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, himself a veteran of the Afghanistan conflict, which after more than a decade, is finally drawing to a close.
The Bairds will visit Australia's outpost at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, which is named Camp Baird in honour of their son.
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