thedrifter
10-28-03, 06:41 PM
Submitted by: 6th Marine Corps District
Story Identification Number: 20031028165939
Story by SSgt. Bryce Piper
6TH MARINE CORPS DISTRICT, PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.(October 15, 2003) -- It was a beautiful autumn afternoon. The sun shone down on an eastbound van with four Marine Corps recruiters leisurely driving on Highway 78 from Tupelo, MS, to Montgomery, AL, for their monthly meeting at the recruiting headquarters.
Just outside Eldridge, AL, is where it happened. It's where disaster struck. It's also where the hands of fate put four U.S. Marines with the training and guts to deal with it.
"I saw two tractor-trailers sideswipe each other," explained Sgt. Brent A. Biles, originally from Lowndes, Ga. One vehicle was a 6-wheeled hauling truck, the other an 18-wheeler loaded with coal. "Both vehicles ended up in the ditch on the west-bound side of 78. As soon as it happened I shouted for Gunny to pull over," he said.
"I stopped the van immediately," agreed GySgt. Mark E. Dumdie , a Coryell, TX, native and now in charge of Marine recruiting in 13 Northeast Mississippi counties around Tupelo and Oxford. "We all rushed to the first truck as the driver was exiting from the window. That's when we saw the smoke," he said.
The Marines quickly realized the truck was on fire as smoke billowed up into the bright sky. Through quick thinking and training the Marines, including Dumdie , Biles, Sgt. Chadwick A. Cagle, a Pulaski, Ark., native, and Sgt. Bryan E. Simmons, of Hale, Ala., rushed into action.
While Biles and Cagle took the driver to safety, checked him for injuries and treated him for shock, Dumdie and Simmons checked the burning vehicle for passengers before rushing to the second disabled truck.
"The driver was already out of his vehicle," stated Dumdie. "I asked him if he was all right and he said he had cut his elbow. Because I could see the injury wasn't life threatening, I asked a bystander to keep a close watch on him until help arrived. Then Sgt. Simmons and I grabbed fire extinguishers from his truck and ran back to the first truck to fight the fire," he said.
When the Marines exhausted the fire extinguishers, the obstinate fire began to grow, engulfing the fuel tanks and threatening power lines overhead. The Marines cleared the area of any onlookers, hoping the local fire department would arrive quickly, and checked the injured driver again.
Cagle and Biles were treating him in the back seat of their van, where he lay complaining of chest pain. Fortunately, a bystander identified himself as a medical doctor and took over treatment.
Within five to ten minutes of receiving the call, the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department began to arrive.
"Seeing that the fire truck had only a driver, I told him that I had firefighter experience and we could help," stated Dumdie . "Sgt. Simmons pulled the hoses while I manned the nozzle. We were able to get the fire under control and away from the power lines," he stated.
"At that time more volunteer firemen arrived wearing the proper gear and took over," explained Dumdie . "So Sgt. Simmons and I went back to the van where Sgt. Cagle and Sgt. Biles were helping the doctor with the first driver. It appeared his injuries weren't life threatening. When the ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, they took control of him. Once the road was clear, we loaded up and continued on to Montgomery," Dumdie said.
Ralph Tittle, Fire Chief of Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department, commended the actions of the Marines.
"I think they did a great job," said Tittle. "Now, most of this was done before I got on the scene. We always appreciate help and assistance before we get there because if it hadn't been for somebody doing something like that it could have been a lot worse."
"We had to put the fire out before we searched every thing," Tittle continued. "And if a driver was trapped, he could have died, which he didn't, thank goodness. He was okay."
"I really praise them, Tittle said. I support the U.S. Marines and U.S. Forces all the way and I appreciate them being there."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/A1F0A999F6018DB785256DCD0078D18E?opendocument
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171236/$file/DumdieLR.jpg
GySgt. Mark E. Dumdie, staff non-commissioned officer in charge, recruiting substation Tupelo, Miss., recruiting station Montgomery, Ala.
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171437/$file/CagleLR.jpg
Sgt. Chadwick Cagle, canvassing recruiter RSS Tupelo, RS Montgomery.
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171751/$file/BilesLR.jpg
Sgt. Brent Biles, canvassing recruiter, RSS
Tupelo, RS Montgomery
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
Sempers,
Roger
Story Identification Number: 20031028165939
Story by SSgt. Bryce Piper
6TH MARINE CORPS DISTRICT, PARRIS ISLAND, S.C.(October 15, 2003) -- It was a beautiful autumn afternoon. The sun shone down on an eastbound van with four Marine Corps recruiters leisurely driving on Highway 78 from Tupelo, MS, to Montgomery, AL, for their monthly meeting at the recruiting headquarters.
Just outside Eldridge, AL, is where it happened. It's where disaster struck. It's also where the hands of fate put four U.S. Marines with the training and guts to deal with it.
"I saw two tractor-trailers sideswipe each other," explained Sgt. Brent A. Biles, originally from Lowndes, Ga. One vehicle was a 6-wheeled hauling truck, the other an 18-wheeler loaded with coal. "Both vehicles ended up in the ditch on the west-bound side of 78. As soon as it happened I shouted for Gunny to pull over," he said.
"I stopped the van immediately," agreed GySgt. Mark E. Dumdie , a Coryell, TX, native and now in charge of Marine recruiting in 13 Northeast Mississippi counties around Tupelo and Oxford. "We all rushed to the first truck as the driver was exiting from the window. That's when we saw the smoke," he said.
The Marines quickly realized the truck was on fire as smoke billowed up into the bright sky. Through quick thinking and training the Marines, including Dumdie , Biles, Sgt. Chadwick A. Cagle, a Pulaski, Ark., native, and Sgt. Bryan E. Simmons, of Hale, Ala., rushed into action.
While Biles and Cagle took the driver to safety, checked him for injuries and treated him for shock, Dumdie and Simmons checked the burning vehicle for passengers before rushing to the second disabled truck.
"The driver was already out of his vehicle," stated Dumdie. "I asked him if he was all right and he said he had cut his elbow. Because I could see the injury wasn't life threatening, I asked a bystander to keep a close watch on him until help arrived. Then Sgt. Simmons and I grabbed fire extinguishers from his truck and ran back to the first truck to fight the fire," he said.
When the Marines exhausted the fire extinguishers, the obstinate fire began to grow, engulfing the fuel tanks and threatening power lines overhead. The Marines cleared the area of any onlookers, hoping the local fire department would arrive quickly, and checked the injured driver again.
Cagle and Biles were treating him in the back seat of their van, where he lay complaining of chest pain. Fortunately, a bystander identified himself as a medical doctor and took over treatment.
Within five to ten minutes of receiving the call, the Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department began to arrive.
"Seeing that the fire truck had only a driver, I told him that I had firefighter experience and we could help," stated Dumdie . "Sgt. Simmons pulled the hoses while I manned the nozzle. We were able to get the fire under control and away from the power lines," he stated.
"At that time more volunteer firemen arrived wearing the proper gear and took over," explained Dumdie . "So Sgt. Simmons and I went back to the van where Sgt. Cagle and Sgt. Biles were helping the doctor with the first driver. It appeared his injuries weren't life threatening. When the ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, they took control of him. Once the road was clear, we loaded up and continued on to Montgomery," Dumdie said.
Ralph Tittle, Fire Chief of Eldridge Volunteer Fire Department, commended the actions of the Marines.
"I think they did a great job," said Tittle. "Now, most of this was done before I got on the scene. We always appreciate help and assistance before we get there because if it hadn't been for somebody doing something like that it could have been a lot worse."
"We had to put the fire out before we searched every thing," Tittle continued. "And if a driver was trapped, he could have died, which he didn't, thank goodness. He was okay."
"I really praise them, Tittle said. I support the U.S. Marines and U.S. Forces all the way and I appreciate them being there."
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/A1F0A999F6018DB785256DCD0078D18E?opendocument
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171236/$file/DumdieLR.jpg
GySgt. Mark E. Dumdie, staff non-commissioned officer in charge, recruiting substation Tupelo, Miss., recruiting station Montgomery, Ala.
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171437/$file/CagleLR.jpg
Sgt. Chadwick Cagle, canvassing recruiter RSS Tupelo, RS Montgomery.
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20031028171751/$file/BilesLR.jpg
Sgt. Brent Biles, canvassing recruiter, RSS
Tupelo, RS Montgomery
Photo by: SSgt. Bryce Piper
Sempers,
Roger