Posted on 03/16/2006 4:15:10 PM PST by SandRat
CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan (March 16, 2006) -- As Bert Corn, the director of the Personal Services Center on Camp Foster, headed to work the morning of Jan. 5, he witnessed a Department of Defense Dependants Schools high-school student struck by a vehicle near Route 23 outside of Kadena Air Base.
Carlos Saldana, training chief for Marine Corps Community Services, witnessed the accident from his car and saw the girl being knocked about 30 yards toward the middle of the road by a distracted driver in a black van.
Saldana saw the event unfold from his vehicle. By the time he had called for help, Corn had already taken control of the situation.
Corn got out of his vehicle and ran out to tend to the girl, who was lying on her side, still in initial shock from the impact. Once he had made certain he would not make the situation worse by going over to the girl, he approached her and used his cellular phone to call for help.
Corn attributes his actions to the fact that he formerly taught first aid, and is currently certified.
“I just stood between her and the traffic for a while,” Corn said. “I talked to the dispatcher and her at the same time.”
“You could tell the girl had received a (solid) hit,” Saldana said. “Corn ran out against incoming traffic and blocked both directions,” Saldana said. “The girl was crying, and he was trying to calm her down.”
According to Corn, the girl had been struck on the hip, but did not appear to have neck or back injuries.
“She was really lucky,” Corn said. “I thought it would be a lot worse. She’s a tough kid.” “He was just reacting as he would hope anyone would for his daughter,” Saldana said. Corn received a certificate of commendation Feb. 12 from Brig. Gen. Joseph V. Medina, the commanding general of Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, for his critical intervention to assist the injured student.
Corn denies any heroic action, but Saldana says the certificate was well-deserved.
“The only thing you didn’t see was that red cape flying out from the back of his shirt,” Saldana said.
I'll be in that general area next month. I'll have to buy some Marines a round.
/johnny
Cell phone?
Can Hillary account for her where-abouts on the day of the accident????
>> God bless that Marine.
Actually, Bert Corn is a civilian working at the Marine Corps Base. He's one of my fellow coworkers and is truly a credit to the Marine Corps.
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