By Anne H. Bowman, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Eisenhower PAO
(FORT EISENHOWER, Ga. June 3, 2024) – Liam Fedak and Jacob Mills, 10th grade students at Greenbrier High School, were recently recognized by Gunnery Sgt. Damian Arredondo, a Cyber Instructor with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, for coming to his son’s aide when the teen experienced a medical emergency at an amusement park, in April.
Liam and Jacob are longtime friends of Leo Garcia, Arredondo’s son. The three were visiting the park together with Arredondo, his wife, and their other children, but were in a different location when Leo began to lose consciousness while waiting in a line.
Arredondo said the teens never panicked.
“Jacob and Liam acted swiftly and calmly under pressure, as they helped Leo out of the line they were waiting in and to another location,” he said. “Leo was weak and about to pass out.”
These circumstances would rattle most adults but, Arredondo continued, “Jacob notified us immediately. He kept Leo safe and comfortable, constantly monitoring his symptoms and condition, maintaining communications with everybody. Meanwhile, Liam navigated the park to find all of us.”
With the group reunited, Liam (who was a frequent visitor and very familiar with the park) guided them to the closest medical station.
Arredondo said Jacob then, “calmly and eloquently relayed all the important information and symptoms to the medical staff. Leo was essentially incapacitated at this point and Jacob had been by his side since the emergency started. It was very impressive.”
The medics assessed and monitored Leo. They ruled out any severe heat-injuries that would require hospitalization before eventually releasing him to go home with his family. An official diagnosis for Leo’s collapse was not provided.
Liam and Jacob kept an eye on Leo during the ride home and asked if they could also stay the night to keep him company. Arredondo said Leo was back on his feet the next morning and he directly credits Liam and Jacob, saying, “Their actions that night, in the best-case scenario, prevented a long and expensive evening in an emergency room, and in a worst-case scenario, prevented a medical disaster with lasting impacts.”
He continued, “I am amazed by their caring actions, as well as their calmness, quick thinking, sense of urgency and decisiveness under pressure and chaos after seeing their friend become incapacitated in the middle of a busy and crowded amusement park that night. My family and I are extremely thankful for their actions. We feel truly blessed that Leo has such good friends in his life.”
Arredondo wanted to officially recognize the courage and actions of Liam and Jacob. He approached his commanding officer at the Marine Corps Detachment Fort Eisenhower who enthusiastically agreed to sign letters of appreciation for the young men.
Arredondo then reached out to the high school to coordinate a presentation ceremony. With the principle’s permission, he invited Liam and Jacob’s families and they set up a time to recognize the boys right after their final exams.
When the day arrived, three Marines and a small contingent of parents, siblings, and close friends were welcomed into the school’s media center. Liam and Jacob were expecting something small and informal, so the group that met them that afternoon was a surprise.
Arredondo read the letters of appreciation aloud, presented them, and expressed his gratitude for Liam and Jacob’s actions the night of the emergency.
A family friend of Arredondo’s and a fellow Marine, Staff Sgt. Rocky Wilson, heard about Jacob and Liam being recognized and said he wanted to come and speak at the presentation.
Wilson shared a deeply personal moment from his own high school years, when he’d been attacked and injured at school. People he’d called friends had run away and left him alone, until a teacher came to his aide.
Reflecting on this he said, “It’s easy to be a bystander, it’s easy to see something going on and say, ‘someone else can help, I’m not an adult’…but you didn’t do that. You did the harder thing. You guys are awesome.”
Wilson continued, “Those in military service know, it takes work to be recognized. It’s even more difficult when you’re not in the military to receive an award from a service branch; you guys more than deserve what you got today.”
The third Marine in attendance, Gunnery Sgt. Bruce Mack, spoke on behalf of the Marine Detachment and added, “It just goes to show that it doesn’t take a uniform to be heroic. What you guys did that day was an act of valor and we appreciate it.”
“This is a first for me,” said Greenbrier principal Charles Fulmer, present at the ceremony. “This is my 28th year in education and we’ve never had service members come and present an award like this to our students. I want to echo what the others said. What you did was not easy. You are great examples we want others to follow. Greenbrier is extremely proud of you. Thank you for what you did.”
Jacob’s father, Ian Tarasevitsch, a 27-year retired Army colonel spoke next, saying, “I think it’s so appropriate that we were given the opportunity to do this at a school, at a place of learning. Everyone thinks a school is a place to learn how to be good students but, more importantly, it’s also a place where we learn to be good citizens.”
He added, “In crisis situations, everybody knows that anybody could do something about it. But it takes somebody to step up and actually do it. I’m incredibly proud of both of you for stepping up and taking the initiative. Not because you were looking for an award, but just because it was the right thing to do.”
Liam’s father, Brian Fedak, is also prior service, a retired Army sergeant first class with 20 years of service, concluded the presentation by saying, “What Jacob and Liam demonstrated was something those of us in uniform recognize right away, leadership. I am also incredibly proud of them.”
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2024 07:49 |
| Story ID: | 472860 |
| Location: | AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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