Photo By Lance Cpl. Ayden Cassano | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. McClain VanDuyne(right), a drill instructor with Tango...... read more read more
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Staff Sgt. McClain VanDuyne, a drill instructor with Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, saved the life of Mataro during a bike ride on the Depot, on June 26, 2024.
They met when VanDuyne bought a bicycle trainer from Mataro. VanDuyne then brought Mataro on a bike tour of Parris Island. They planned to visit the Depot museum during their tour as Mataro would soon start a new job at the museum. Suddenly, before reaching the museum, Mataro stopped responding VanDuyne’s communications.
“I was about to show him the gas chamber, I heard him say ‘I’m going to-,’ and I looked back, and he was face down in the grass on the side of the road,” said Staff Sgt. McClain VanDuyne.
VanDuyne assessed the situation, discovered Anthony Mataro had no pulse, and immediately began performing CPR. VanDuyne signaled a bystander to call 911.
“A lot of adrenaline was going, but there really wasn’t much time to think,” said VanDuyne. “He’s down on the ground, and I didn’t really feel a pulse, so I just started CPR.”
As a Marine Corps Instructor of Water Survival, VanDuyne learned advanced CPR, life saving procedures, and earned a Red Cross certification.
The Parris Island Fire & Emergency Services quickly arrived on scene and took Mataro to the nearest hospital.
Mataro, a 65 year-old retired Marine sergeant, was in a comatose state for three days before awakening in the hospital. He had suffered from a heart attack in his left anterior descending artery, known as a ‘Widowmaker Heart Attack,’ which has an extremely low chance of survival.
For his actions, VanDuyne received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal on July 18, 2024. Mataro arrived at the ceremony in the current U.S. Marine Corps combat utility uniform to pin the medal on VanDuyne himself.
“Do I think I deserve an award?” asked VanDuyne. “I think my award is more or less being able to talk to him and break bread with him and have lunch with him. I think that’s enough.”
Mataro said getting to pin VanDuyne meant a lot to him.
“I couldn’t pay him enough,” said Mataro. “I will always be on the short end of the stick of what I unofficially owe him. Pinning that medal on that young man’s chest was one of the greatest honors I’ve had besides serving as a Marine.”
Following the incident, Mataro started working aboard the base in a civilian position at the Parris Island Marine Museum, allowing him an opportunity to grow his friendship with VanDuyne.
“My wife and I have adopted him unofficially as our son. He and I are connected now,” said Mataro. “After all , I have to finish that ride with him.”
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2024 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 477580 |
| Location: | PARRIS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 261 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marine Saves Marine Veteran's Life, by LCpl Ayden Cassano, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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