Photo By Giancarlo Casem | Lt. Gen. Jim Lovelace, U.S. Army Central commanding general, congratulates Staff Sgt....... read more read more
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By Spc. Wesley Landrum
50th Public Affairs Detachment
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait- For Staff Sgt. Robert Gholston, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) Special Troops Battalion S-3, Jan. 30, 2007 started off like an ordinary day. He was taking care of personal business in Fayetteville, N.C., when fate intervened.
"I was driving near the traffic circle downtown when I noticed smoke coming from a vehicle," Gholston said. "At first I thought it was a gas leak and then I realized that there was a man in the car and that the rear right wheel was just spinning and smoke was coming from the engine."
Gholston stopped his vehicle, got out and made his way through traffic to render assistance to the motorist who was across the road. For his actions that day Gholston was awarded the Soldier's Medal in a ceremony held at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, March 12.
Upon reaching the automobile, Gholston noticed the driver's foot was still on the accelerator. This caused the engine to continue revving up. The car soon caught fire.
"I thought the car was going to blow up," Gholston said to the small audience in attendance. "I said to myself, 'I need to get him out of here.'"
Gholston, without hesitating, opened the door to pull the man out of the car. Upon opening the door, Gholston, a sergeant at that time, realized the man was convulsing.
"I started yelling at the top of my lungs, 'He's having a seizure. He's having a seizure!'" Gholston said. "No one responded so I turned the engine off and put the vehicle in park. I then loosened his seatbelt and started to pull him out of the car."
While Gholston was pulling the man from the vehicle, the paramedics arrived on the scene and proceeded to the render assistance to the man in need.
"By the grace of God, I was there at the right time to help this guy out," Gholston said. "I just reacted on instinct."
Lt. Gen. Jim Lovelace, U.S. Army Central commanding general, said in all of his years of service, this was his first time presenting a Soldier's Medal. He said Gholston's heroic deeds deserved to be recognized.
"He did not blink. He just reacted," Lovelace said. "What does the Warrior Ethos state? 'I will never leave a fallen comrade.' Good on you, (Staff) Sgt. Gholston, for a job well done."
The act of courage attracted a lot of publicity. A local television station was across from the scene filmed and interviewed Gholston shortly thereafter.
Although more than a year has passed since Gholston saved the life of Hubert Vinson, the Moulton, Ala., native is still humble now as he was back then.
"In the military we are taught basic survival techniques. My instincts kicked in. All I could think about was getting the person out of the burning vehicle," said Gholston.
"I'm not a hero, I don't feel like one. I just did what was expected of me, I did the right thing at the right time."
Gholston said anyone can do a good deed. All that is required is the first step.
"If there had been a Sailor, Airman, Marine or a fellow Soldier in that situation, anyone could have done what I did," Gholston said.
| Date Taken: | 03.19.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 03.19.2008 02:44 |
| Story ID: | 17519 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 363 |
| Downloads: | 301 |
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