Fort Bliss Monitor

Red Cross holds Heroes of the Pass ceremony

Spc. Paula Taylor
Public Affairs Office

Soldiers with the 1256 Medical Company (Air Ambulance) are presented with the Professional Rescue Heroes award for their helicopter rescue of a stranded hiker in the Franklin Mountains.

The El Paso Red Cross held its fourth annual Heroes of the Pass luncheon March 30 at the Centennial Club at Biggs Field.

The luncheon was to honor civilians and servicemembers who acted with extraordinary courage and who took action to save the life or lives of others.

The winners of the Professional Rescue Heroes category were the servicemembers of the 1256th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), who, on Feb. 6, 2004, flew a difficult helicopter mission to rescue a stranded hiker in the Franklin Mountains. The hiker had suffered head injuries and the helicopter flew nearly 30 minutes under difficult and challenging conditions, through narrow canyons and ravines. The rescue took place at night, so the pilot was required to use night vision goggles during the flight. Once the helicopter reached the victim, the crew lowered a rescue basket, picked up the patient and flew to the hospital.

The winners of the Military Hereos category were Capt. Jon Thiessen and 1st Sgt. Larry Townsend. The two were driving on post and came across a serious accident involving fellow servicemembers on Sept. 30, 2004.
The accident involved a motorcycle and a van. The driver of the motorcycle had a severed leg and was pinned under his vehicle. Thiessen and Townsend immediately rendered aid by clearing the growing crowd, directing someone to call 911, moving the motorcycle off the victim, and applying a tourniquet with their t-shirts. The other victim, who was several feet away, was covered with their jackets and treated for shock. Thiessen and Townsend kept the victims alert until the paramedics arrived and then helped rescuers load the victims into the ambulance.

“The Military Heroes category was a difficult decision,” said Princess Kang Armendariz of the Red Cross El Paso Chapter. Armendariz said it was an extremely close race between the winners and the runner-up, 1st Lt. Dale Papka.

Papka was traveling down interstate 10 after lunch and came upon the scene of an accident. He stopped to render aid to two motorists. One person had been ejected from his vehicle. Papka stabilized him and then turned to a woman who was trapped in her vehicle. Using the cast on his arm to his advantage, Papka broke the windshield of the car the woman was trapped in, just as emergency crews arrived. Papka’s quick action contributed to saving the life of the man who had been thrown from his vehicle.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	April 7, 2005

	Red Cross holds Heroes of the Pass ceremony Spc. Paula Taylor Public Affairs Office Soldiers with the 1256 Medical Company (Air Ambulance) are presented with the Professional Rescue Heroes award for their helicopter rescue of a stranded hiker in the Franklin Mountains. The El Paso Red Cross held its fourth annual Heroes of the Pass luncheon March 30 at the Centennial Club at Biggs Field. The luncheon was to honor civilians and servicemembers who acted with extraordinary courage and who took action to save the life or lives of others. The winners of the Professional Rescue Heroes category were the servicemembers of the 1256th Medical Company (Air Ambulance), who, on Feb. 6, 2004, flew a difficult helicopter mission to rescue a stranded hiker in the Franklin Mountains. The hiker had suffered head injuries and the helicopter flew nearly 30 minutes under difficult and challenging conditions, through narrow canyons and ravines. The rescue took place at night, so the pilot was required to use night vision goggles during the flight. Once the helicopter reached the victim, the crew lowered a rescue basket, picked up the patient and flew to the hospital. The winners of the Military Hereos category were Capt. Jon Thiessen and 1st Sgt. Larry Townsend. The two were driving on post and came across a serious accident involving fellow servicemembers on Sept. 30, 2004. The accident involved a motorcycle and a van. The driver of the motorcycle had a severed leg and was pinned under his vehicle. Thiessen and Townsend immediately rendered aid by clearing the growing crowd, directing someone to call 911, moving the motorcycle off the victim, and applying a tourniquet with their t-shirts. The other victim, who was several feet away, was covered with their jackets and treated for shock. Thiessen and Townsend kept the victims alert until the paramedics arrived and then helped rescuers load the victims into the ambulance. “The Military Heroes category was a difficult decision,” said Princess Kang Armendariz of the Red Cross El Paso Chapter. Armendariz said it was an extremely close race between the winners and the runner-up, 1st Lt. Dale Papka. Papka was traveling down interstate 10 after lunch and came upon the scene of an accident. He stopped to render aid to two motorists. One person had been ejected from his vehicle. Papka stabilized him and then turned to a woman who was trapped in her vehicle. Using the cast on his arm to his advantage, Papka broke the windshield of the car the woman was trapped in, just as emergency crews arrived. Papka’s quick action contributed to saving the life of the man who had been thrown from his vehicle.