Photo By Lance Cpl. Kasey Peacock | Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael S. Davis received the Navy and Marine Corps...... read more read more
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CAMP KINSER, Japan - Hideyuki Arakaki began suffering an epileptic seizure while exercising at the Camp Kinser gymnasium Nov. 17. The last thing he remembers before waking up in the hospital was an unknown person at the gym helping him.
Arakaki ultimately recovered from this jarring experience.
Arakaki found out his hero had stayed by his side in the hospital while he was still unconscious. The two later spoke on the phone, but never had the chance to meet.
On March 7, Arakaki, who works at the Camp Kinser Commissary, had the opportunity to meet the man who saved his life, Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael S. Davis, a hospital corpsman with Medical Logistics Company, 3rd Supply Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.
“This has been a huge wake-up call for me,” said Arakaki. “It was a scary feeling to wake up and not remember anything that happened, and I am very thankful and honored to meet the man who saved my life.”
Davis noticed Arakaki experiencing a seizure while he was exercising and immediately acted. Davis cleared out the gym and directed a fellow service member to contact emergency personnel. With emergency medical technicians en route, Davis rendered first aid by assessing Arakaki’s conditions and monitoring his vitals until emergency responders arrived.
“Once he hit the ground I was no longer thinking, I was acting,” said Davis. “At the end of the day, I was doing my job. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing, being a corpsman is not just while on duty, it is all the time.”
Arakaki stood by as Marines and sailors from the company gathered in formation for an award ceremony. Brig. Gen. Craig C. Crenshaw, commanding general of 3rd MLG, Sgt. Maj. Lawrence P. Fineran, sergeant major of 3rd MLG, and Master Chief Petty Officer Eric S. Anderson, command master chief of 3rd MLG, presented Davis with a Navy and Marine Corps Achievment Medal.
“Don’t ever sell yourselves short,” said Crenshaw. “Davis is now among the many corpsmen who has proven to us when you are called to action, you will perform. Mr. Arakaki may not be standing here with us today if it wasn’t for your training and your actions.”
As the ceremony concluded and Arakaki and Davis shook hands, Crenshaw had a few more words for the corpsmen in attendance.
“Thank you for what you do,” he said. “Thank you for how you do it.”
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2012 20:57 |
| Story ID: | 85324 |
| Location: | CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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