Arrowhead Soldier awarded for heroic actions during fiery crash

Photo By 1st Sgt. Justin A. Naylor | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia, New York City native, and infantryman with 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, speaks to a crowd during the American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast in Tacoma, Wash., Sept. 10, 2014. Garcia was honored for his heroic actions during a fiery vehicle crash on I5 last December.  

TACOMA, WA, UNITED STATES

09.12.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Justin A. Naylor 

1-2 SBCT, 7th Infantry Division

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – The memory of the fiery accident on I-5 last December is still fresh for Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia. His actions that day—disregarding his own well-being as he rushed into the crash zone to help rescue the wounded—are hard to forget.

For his heroic conduct, Garcia was honored during the American Red Cross Heroes Breakfast in Tacoma, Wash., Sept. 10, along with other community heroes.

Garcia was driving home from a 24-hour shift Dec. 16, 2013, when he saw a truck towing a trailer heading northbound suddenly cross the center meridian and hit a box truck, both of which burst into flames.

Without thought, Garcia pulled his car over and rushed into the flaming crash where he started to help the injured. Before long, he found himself in the back seat of a truck stabilizing the neck of a man suffering from a concussion. He stayed in the car with him until the fire department arrived and removed the roof of the vehicle.

Now, almost a year later and in the midst of a busy training season, Garcia was surprised to learn that he was receiving an award for those actions.

“Actually, I never even thought about it,” said Garcia, a New York City native and infantryman with 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. “Once I got contacted the first time it was a shock, I didn’t know people even saw it. It means the world to think that someone out there put me in for this award.”

For those who honored Garcia and the other community heroes during the breakfast, the awards were a chance to give back.

“When Staff Sgt. Jose Garcia came upon an accident situation, he knew what to do and he didn’t hesitate to act,” said Barbara Hostetler, the Director of Regional Clinical Services for UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans. “Even though he had just finished a 24-hour shift, he went above and beyond to save the lives of those people involved in this accident.”

Although Garcia is grateful for the award, he is modest about his actions during the accident, especially after meeting the other heroes who were recognized.

“By far, I think that what I did was nowhere near what they did,” said Garcia, whose three deployments have given him chances to practice lifesaving skills. “I train and do this for a living. They are just everyday people putting their lives at risk. Those guys deserve it way more than I do.”

Garcia also maintains that anyone would have done what he did if they saw the accident.

“It’s just one of those things -- I still believe that everyone has it in them to do the right thing,” Garcia said. “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.”

• Date Taken: 09.12.2014
• Date Posted: 09.12.2014 10:47
• Story ID: 141925
• Location: TACOMA, WA, US
• Hometown: NEW YORK, NY, US