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Fralish took off his rank insignia and gave it to the elderly man, along with a note he wrote explaining who he was and what the situation was, so that the girl and her family could be given safe passage to the medical facility at Mehtar Lam. “Over the next couple of days, while we were in the field, the girl’s family got her to Mehtar Lam on the back of a donkey,” Schneider said. “When we returned to the [forward operating base] at Mehtar Lam, the girl was there being treated. Her family was overjoyed to see John again, and they rightfully credited him with making this all possible.” Still, the girl’s wound and infection were too serious to be adequately treated at Mehtar Lam, Schneider said. Nothing short of amputation of her lower leg – which could not be performed locally – would save her life. “When we heard that, everyone passed the hat around, and we got enough money together so the family could hire a car to take them to the hospital at Bagram Airfield,” Schneider said. “It was airmen, soldiers, Marines and sailors -- everyone chipping in together. “Well, the girl’s family showed the note John had written, along with his rank insignia, at every check point, and it got their car through to Bagram where the little girl underwent successful surgery,” Schneider said. “She made it, and she’s recovering nicely and is alive and well now directly because of John. She has a second chance at life.” Around the time of the girl’s surgery, Fralish was killed in action. “That whole village mourned John’s death along with us,” said U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Cameron Stewart of Spokane, Wash., a corpsman with the 1/3 Marines. “All those who served with John are deeply affected by his loss. To see Afghan villagers also affected is a true testament to the character and type of person John was.” The Afghan man who led Fralish to the girl’s hut recently visited Mehtar Lam and returned Fralish’s rank insignia. Schneider gave it to the 1/3 Marines’ commanding officer, U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. James Bierman, who has since mailed it – with a letter from Schneider – to Fralish’s parents in Pennsylvania. “It was an honor to pass this on John Fralish’s family,” Bierman said. “This entire story demonstrates the character and nobility of the young Marines and sailors serving here in Afghanistan.” And also, perhaps, demonstrates how one man’s character can change the mindset of a community. Since Fralish’s death, villagers in the surrounding area have also made it a point to alert authorities to insurgent activity. “What used to be an area where the insurgents could blend in and operate in has now turned against them,” Schneider said. “Not only was a little girl’s life saved by John, but more American and coalition lives can be saved as a result of the insurgents losing their grip on the area, all because of one man’s sense of humanity.” |
