By Army Staff Sgt. Justin A. Naylor
3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Sept. 12, 2014 – The memory
of the fiery accident that occurred near here on Interstate 5 last December is
still fresh for Army Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia. His actions that day --
disregarding his own well-being as he rushed into the crash zone to help rescue
the injured -- are hard to forget.
For his heroic conduct, Garcia was honored Sept. 10 at the
American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast held in Tacoma, along with other community
heroes.
Garcia was driving home from a 24-hour shift on Dec. 16,
2013, when he saw a truck towing a trailer heading northbound suddenly cross
the center meridian and hit a box truck, both of which burst into flames.
Without thought, Garcia pulled his car over and rushed into
the flaming crash where he started to help the injured. Before long, he found
himself in the back seat of a truck stabilizing the neck of a man suffering
from a concussion. He stayed in the truck with the injured man until the fire
department arrived and removed the roof of the vehicle.
Now, almost a year later and in the midst of a busy training
schedule, Garcia, who hails from New York City, was surprised to learn that he
was receiving an award for his actions.
“Actually, I never even thought about it,” said Garcia, an
infantryman assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3-2 Stryker
Brigade Combat Team here.
“Once I got contacted the first time it was a shock,” Garcia
said. “I didn’t know people even saw the crash. It means the world to think
that someone out there put me in for this award.”
For those who honored Garcia and the other community heroes
during the breakfast, the awards were a chance to give back.
“When Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia came upon an accident
situation, he knew what to do and he didn’t hesitate to act,” said Barbara
Hostetler, the director of regional clinical services for UnitedHealthcare
Military & Veterans, formerly known as the TRICARE West Region. “Even
though he had just finished a 24-hour shift, he went above and beyond to save
the lives of those people involved in this accident.”
Although Garcia is grateful for the award, he is modest
about his actions during the accident, especially after meeting the other
heroes who were recognized.
“By far, I think that what I did was nowhere near what they
did,” said Garcia, whose three deployments have given him opportunities to
practice lifesaving skills. “I train and do this for a living. They are just
everyday people putting their lives at risk. Those guys deserve it way more
than I do.”
Garcia also maintains that anyone would have done what he
did if they saw the accident.
“It’s just one of those things -- I still believe that
everyone has it in them to do the right thing,” he said. “I just happened to be
at the right place at the right time.”
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