Mark Donaldson

Mark Donaldson, Afghanistan (theaustralian.com.au ())

"Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice and is never a result of selfishness" - (Napoleon Hill) Napoleon Hill expresses in this quote the importance of achieving our goals through personal perseverance and not through the negative use of others. His famous quote greatly reflects upon the life of Mark Donaldson and his actions on the line in Afghanistan.  Born on the 2^nd of April, 1979, in New South Wales, Australia, Mark Gregor Strang Donaldson lived with his mom, dad and younger brother. Mark led an average life; however, in 1995, at age 16, his father died from an unexpected heart attack. Then 4 years later his mother went missing, presumably murdered.  Mark graduated high school in 1996 and on June 18^th, 2002 he joined the Royal Australian Army. His heroic efforts occurred on the 2^nd of September, 2009 in the dusty mountains of Afghanistan.  There are many stereotypes of a hero out in society today.  Some are heroes for the fame and fortune they posses. Others aren't noticed until they die, yet Mark Donaldson is a hero for his selfless acts and his commitment to his country, work and mates.  When many are approached with the task of deployment, most avoid or ignore the situation. But, in 2010 Corporal Mark Donaldson deployed to Afghanistan. Throughout his deployment Donaldson exemplified a hero; he committed selfless acts and was exceedingly dedicated to his country and fellow soldiers.  

Corporal Mark Donaldson (raamc.org.au ())

Corporal Mark Gregor Strang Donaldson is known by many for various reasons. He is a loving husband and father. He was awarded the Young Australian of the year in 2010, and has always been known for being nothing but selfless in his small country town. However, it is the glory and pride Australia has for  Mr. Donaldson, to call him one of our own, that spurred from events in the Kuran Ghar mountains in Afghanistan, which led him to receive the highest Military honour and become remembered forever more as one of Australia's finest heroes: "Corporal Donaldson's acts of exceptional gallantry in the face of accurate and sustained enemy fire ultimately saved the life of a coalition force interpreter and ensured the safety of the other members of the combined Afghan, US and Australian force"- (Mark Donaldson, VC). Trooper Donaldson disregarded his safety by rescuing an interpreter under open fire. It was his bravery, trust in his training and humane instincts that led to the success of his selfless actions. His inspiring display of unselfishness is one that many hope to receive and put into use in their lives. During the ambush, the trucks that were carrying the men through the mountains were all within close vicinity. So when the attack struck it was Mark's quick, gallant movements that prevented excessive damage. Donaldson ran to and from various positions surrounding the trucks and: "...bought enough time for those wounded to be moved to relative safety" - (Oakes, Dan). Accordingly, if it wasn't for his instinctive efforts many men could have lost their lives or been severely disabled.  Mark had been recognized for his bold and daring decisions within the dusty plain shadows of Kuran Ghar mountains, though the full extent of the events were extremely courageous: "In the chaos that followed, Trooper Donaldson ran, under machine gun fire, across nearly 100 meters of open ground to rescue a wounded interpreter. He also deliberately exposed himself to enemy fire to draw attention away from injured soldiers"- (Oakes, Dan).  Donaldson has been described through many words regarding the events he faced in operation SLIPPER. Though the word that I believe describes him is altruistic. Marks sacrifice for a man whom he hardly knew is extremely commendable. With little knowledge of him, he risked his life to prevent the burden of losing a mate and family member, displaying superior heroism. Not only do these events also signify that Mark is selfless and cares about the safety of his fellow soldiers, it also shows the compassion and honor he has for his country. Risking his life not only in this situation, Donaldson also risked his life simply being in Afghanistan fighting. Volunteering to help protect our country he bravely shows his self-sacrificing ways, to allow all generations of Australia to live in freedom.  To be selfless is to commit actions with prior knowledge of the possibility of jeopardizing oneself. It can also be with no foreseen knowledge of the consequences and their severity. Though with all this aside, Mark ran straight into action for the benefit of others and no requirements to do so. It is these selfless and beneficial acts that make him worthy of the title hero.

Victorian Cross (telegraph.co.uk (Chris Irvine))

Over the years since his ordeals in Afghanistan, Trooper Donaldson has been thanked for his support, help, but most greatly for his commitment on and off the field.  Yet even after his deployment, Mark still continues to serve and pay tribute to his country, its people and it's military: "Trooper Donaldson said the year since he won the Victoria Cross had brought an increased workload, but that was something he welcomed". - (Oakes, Dan).  Mark had shown obvious commitment during the battle for his team in 2010 by leaving the option to leave a man behind absolutely out of the question. And now whilst at home his dedication continues. Donaldson's ethics haven't changed in the slightest and can be seen through his continual commitment to his work. After battle, many soldiers come home as changed people, however Mark's changes were only for the better. Shortly after his return, he was eager to get his hands back into work and help out in as many ways as possible. His goals to ease the stress of war on those fighting around the world and their families who seemed to be so far away were highly appreciated. Though it's not just his continual commitment for his country by being out in the field that makes him admirable, it is continual support behind the scenes for the other soldiers out fighting too:  "Wounded Warrior'' pack. ''The letters you guys put in there mean so much to them; in their quiet times they read through them and are reminded what their sacrifices are for,'' Corporal Donaldson VC, said. -  ("Mark Donaldson, VC.").  As a spokesperson for the Wounded Warriors Program, Mark can relate firsthand the stress of being away overseas, away from family and friends. So despite his heroic efforts being regarded as closed in the view of some people, he has still continued on to help others, help those who serve.  Mark lets nothing stand in the way of him achieving his goals and encourages other to do so too. As the hero that he is, he urges the community to stick through and persevere during the tough times. Since he knows that even when it seems like nothing can go right, and all hope is seemingly lost, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  Although many people consider his time as a hero a thing of the past because the gun shots are no longer firing and everything seems calmer, Donaldson is simply getting started. And with every day in uniform, every speech made and every load of paper work completed, the life of a military member and their family gets a little easier all from his ongoing commitment.

Mark Donaldson lends medal to museum (itsanhonour.gov.au (Photo: Newspix))

       During his time away, Mark assisted in saving many lives in an ambush attack. However his selfless acts and commitment made the outcome positive. When driving back to the base, the attack struck. His rapid, selfless decisions placed him in different positions surrounding the truck following through with defense.  The next stage soon arose and the men began to run alongside to the now moving truck, still firing at the enemy. Suddenly a loud explosion occurred and Donaldson noticed an interpreter was flung from the moving vehicle. His swift movement and internal obligation to his team forced him to sprint almost blindingly into open fire for 100 meters. He then picked up the man and sprinted him back to the relatively safe area of the truck.  Yet Mr. Donaldson's heroic efforts were still functioning, his commitment to his team and fellow soldiers then led him to performing first aid on the wounded. Shortly after that, he returned to the fight now injured himself.  It was on this day that the possibility of losing many lives was so severely high; the outcome itself is a miracle. Phone calls and letters would've been sent home, regarding the death of a beloved family member. Tears would flow. Children would grow up knowing the stories that their daddy was a very brave man, not learning the full extent of the crushing and fatal day until their years had progressed beyond.  But one hero's selfless sacrifice made the difference. Corporal Mark Donaldson stopped the phone calls. He stopped the letters being sent home and the tears from flowing. He was the one who challenged fate. He was the hero.