Prince Harry is being hailed as a hero by a former squadmate who says the Prince saved him from a homophobic attack back in 2008.
In his new book "Out In The Army," excerpted by the Daily Mail, Trooper James Wharton recalls the day he told the Prince of how six soldiers threatened to beat him because of his sexuality.
Wharton said that he couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes when he told the Prince, who was then his tank commander, he thought he was going to be "murdered by the infantry."
“Right I’m going to sort this sh*t out once and for all," Prince Harry told Wharton before climbing out of the tank to confront the soldiers. According to Wharton, the Prince returned 10 minutes later and told him the problem had been "sorted," and that he told the soldiers to "back the f**k off."
Wharton, who quit the Army earlier this year, told the Daily Mail, "I will always be grateful to Harry and I will never forget what happened. Until he went over and dealt with everything I was on track for a battering."
The former soldier isn't the only one commending Prince Harry for his actions. Shadow Defense Secretary Jim Murphy praised the 28-year-old for his efforts to protect his troops, telling the paper, "The whole country will applaud Prince Harry. Our Forces should reflect the modern-day Britain they fight so hard to defend."
Prince Harry is known for having a good relationship with the gay community, and has been spotted partying with friends at gay bars in the past. And in his book, Wharton even claims he and the Prince had a discussion about popularity of Harry and his brother William in the gay community -- only to disapoint the young royal when he dispelled the notion that Harry was a gay icon.
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