Real American Heroes

#28
#28
"The gun's extended magazine held 18 bullets. And every single one hit Smith.

He was confused, bleeding, but completely aware of what he was going through.

Smith’s survival instincts kicked in: Get away. Get away now.

His adrenaline spiking, Smith, 34, drove from his parking spot in the 100 block of Decatur looking for help. He turned onto Canal, then back into the French Quarter, until he hit Dauphine Street, a full eight blocks from the shooting scene. There, he saw a group of hotel workers and he calmly got out of his car to ask for help.

“I ran in there and I was like, Can y'all help me? I've just been shot. Everybody was running around going crazy. I was just standing around, like, oh man, I'm messing up these people's hotel.”

“I had blood all over their floor and stuff,” he recalled.

As Smith waited for an ambulance, his thoughts turned to his fiancée and two children, a 14-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

“I can't die. That's the only thing. I can't die. I got kids. I can't die.”"

'I can't die, I got kids, I can't die' - man shot 18 times prepares to go back to work
 
#29
#29
Tear jerker

The youthful rescuer raced into the choking smoke and flames, bolting up to the 14th floor where Yasleen became separated from Moreno — whose shrieks steered Silverio to the lost little girl. Silverio plucked the small child from the darkness and lugged her back down the stairs to waiting firefighters and EMTs, officials said.

But Yasleen, suffering from smoke inhalation and burns over 80% of her tiny body, died one day later at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. And the valiant Silverio, who arrived naked, burned and disoriented on the ground floor after running the fiery gauntlet, followed within 48 hours.

“I was shocked that a 19-year-old would go into the fire,” said Yasleen’s great uncle Willie Colon, 52, of the Bronx. “That guy is going to be in my heart forever.”

When mother and daughter tripped and became separated in the dense smoke, Silverio heard Jasmine screaming for her lost child, the sources said. Though he was already helping his grandmother navigate her way to safety, Silverio ran back up the stairs and grabbed the little girl — just as both were scalded by a blistering blast of heat and fire, according to the sources.

Burned but undaunted, Silverio carried the mortally injured child to safety.

“He had a beautiful spirit and a heart of gold,” said Jesse Alvarez, a second cousin of the intrepid Silverio. “He had a heart the size of this planet. I want New Yorkers to take away that a hero died, and that hero’s name was Lucas Silverio.”

‘He’s a hero’: mom of 3-year-old girl who died from Bronx fire injuries mourns the death two days later of brave teen who tried to save her
 
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#31
#31
This young gal is a "brand new private pilot and was taking her first passenger ever (her autistic brother) in a glider. She experienced a rope break at 140-150 ft. Nose came down, decided which field to land in ultimately slipping to help not roll through the next barbed wire fence. At 30 hours total time this went pretty damn well."

 
#35
#35
I was eating breakfast at Waffle House a year or so ago with my brother-in-law. The waitress spoke very broken English, but we surmised she was having some financial issues and that her electricity was about to be turned off. As we were leaving he pulled out a $100 and wrapped a $1 over it and handed it to her as her tip. When we got in the car he said “I really don’t have any idea wtf she was saying, but maybe that will help her out a little.”

Small scale, but heroic and generous nonetheless
 
#41
#41
I once “literally” saved a woman’s life. I wish I could remember her name; she did visit me once some time afterwards, years ago to hug me and say thank you.

However even the most extreme thing I can think of in my life, didn’t and hadn’t made me a “hero.”

My brother is truly my hero, and I think he is a hero in life. He joined the military when he was 17. He has is and has been a police officer and minister for over 20 years.

Some may hate ministers and officers, but my brother is a good one. He puts his life on the line everyday, because he truly believes he can help and make a difference. He also tries to provide hope to others through ministry.

Some may not think so, but my brother is a hero.
 
#42
#42
I once “literally” saved a woman’s life. I wish I could remember her name; she did visit me once some time afterwards, years ago to hug me and say thank you.

However even the most extreme thing I can think of in my life, didn’t and hadn’t made me a “hero.”

My brother is truly my hero, and I think he is a hero in life. He joined the military when he was 17. He has is and has been a police officer and minister for over 20 years.

Some may hate ministers and officers, but my brother is a good one. He puts his life on the line everyday, because he truly believes he can help and make a difference. He also tries to provide hope to others through ministry.

Some may not think so, but my brother is a hero.

How did you save her?

My friend's GF was choking on steak at lake powell. Everyone froze and i was the furthest one from her and got to her first and gave her heimlich. They probably would have figured it out if i weren't there but man the feeling was so good. She was crying and hugging me. Her kids were right there. It was crazy.
 
#43
#43
How did you save her?

My friend's GF was choking on steak at lake powell. Everyone froze and i was the furthest one from her and got to her first and gave her heimlich. They probably would have figured it out if i weren't there but man the feeling was so good. She was crying and hugging me. Her kids were right there. It was crazy.

Wow very cool.

Years ago I worked in a prison. A lady hanged herself. She did so on the pulley system her cell door. The call was given on the radio and as soon as we got to location someone called to open the door. I called back to not open the door and to run all traffic through me and via discrete channel. Once at the cell we discovered the way in which she hanged herself.....if door was opened it would have broken her neck.

After some time she was relieved and brought to the ground. I immediately started mouth to mouth while waiting on a bag and had an officer preform chest compressions (as she had no pulse, wasn’t breathing and was at a total loss of normal color). After a couple of minutes this had not worked and I bagged her, which still did not work.

I instructed my officers to turn around and not watch. I filled the lady’s lungs with air, then held her nose and mouth closed tightly for just over a minute. When I let go her body released the air and after a second or two it simply took a breath. I then rebadged and with further compressions we got a heartbeat, and eventually breathing.

I think God wanted something from her life and she lived. I do not know what she made of herself and don’t even remember her name. However I like to think she now makes a positive impact on the world.

But again, this hasn’t made me a hero. I try to live a good life, but my brother lives a heroic life (at least I think so).
 
#50
#50
7 years ago today, my old HS buddy was killed fighting wildfires. In the book The Devil in the White City, it recounts the story of the Chicago World's Fair fire. The flames jumped and trapped several firemen on a rooftop. Witnessed by people on a nearby Ferris wheel, they began to shake hands and hug each other, knowing it was the end for them. This anecdote has always stuck with me and I picture my friend having to go through this same sort of moment with his 18 brothers. Never forget.

RIP Joe

Tuesday marks 7th anniversary of Yarnell Hill Fire
 

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