Photo By John Hughel | Community leaders, first responders from Camas and Washougal, Washington, along with...... read more read more
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CAMAS, Wash. — Only a few weeks into the new school year, as the warmth of summer slowly fades, Woodburn Elementary School third-grader Shelbie McQueen was eager to get off the school bus and enjoy some time outside on the afternoon of September 9, 2025. She didn’t get far from the bus stop before she heard someone calling out for help.
Following the voice, Shelbie would soon find one of her neighbors, Roger Rosenberry, lying in a thick area of grass and rocks near his home.
“He was in a deep swell, like a ditch area in our backyard, and it’s all overgrown with grass at this time of year,” said Tannis Mittelbach, describing the location where Rosenberry had fallen nearly 20 feet from a ladder at his home. “It’s quite a bit of distance from the bus stop. That she would hear something and then go investigate, as she did, really impressed me.”
Mittelbach, a Colonel in the Oregon Army National Guard, serves as the Director of Logistics and has gotten to know many of the kids in this area near the banks of the Columbia River in Camas, Washington, as they often use her driveway as a turnaround point when riding their bikes.
According to Mittlebach, the greenway area where Rosenberry, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, had fallen was between her backyard and Shelbie's neighborhood. It was Shelbie's quick thinking after finding him that led her to run home to alert her parents, who called 9-1-1 for immediate medical help.
“It’s an area where nobody goes, especially in hot summer periods,” Mittelbach said. “He (Rosenberry) could have easily been there for a long time and gone into shock and died because he had multiple fractures from the fall.”
Her decision to act right away and take the appropriate action made a difference, but Shelbie’s heroic actions for the week were only partially completed. By the week's end, she would come to the aid of another military veteran in Camas.
On the afternoon of Sept.12, just three days later, while riding her bike in Camas, she noticed an older gentleman slumped over the handlebars on a three-wheeled bicycle along the riverfront. Trusting both her instinct and her growing confidence in identifying emergencies, Shelbie understood he needed immediate assistance. She quickly made her way home, where her parents contacted local first responders — the second time in just four days.
“It must have just happened because the Camas police and fire departments got him into a stroke center,” Mittelbach said, reiterating how the timing was critical in saving Dick Fournier, a veteran who served in the Army during the Korean War era.
Mittelbach noted that he has made a complete recovery after receiving care in the critical 60 minutes of his symptoms, often called the “Golden Hour.”
“Her actions in first recognizing that something was wrong, especially in that first hour, were significant in his long-term recovery,” Mittelbach said. “He was alone at the time, without his wife or anyone else riding with him, so her assessment made a significant impact.”
Not long after both instances, Mittelbach wanted to acknowledge Shelbie’s actions, especially since both men were veterans who had served their country and now live in the Camas community. She began organizing a ceremony after calling the City Council to recognize Shelbie’s valiant actions, with support from the City of Camas, the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, police departments, and her elementary school.
“I wanted to have as many people in uniform as possible so kids could see what all the different kinds of helpers look like,” Mittelbach said. “This included some members of the Oregon National Guard who live on our (north) side of the Columbia River here in Washington (state).
The event also featured Rosenberry’s daughter, Amber Rosenberry, who is the current titleholder of International Miss Oregon. While certificates were being prepared and community members' schedules coordinated, Mittelbach made sure the ceremony on December 3 at Woodburn Elementary School remained a surprise for Shelbie, allowing her classmates to join in the celebration as well.
“Having a National Guard presence was important because these were veterans that his little girl saved, Mittelbach said. “It’s a pretty big deal what this eight-year-old did.”
With the arrival of Fire engines and police vehicles at Woodburn Elementary at 10:00 a.m. for the December 3 celebration, Mittelbach introduced many members of the Camas community to the cheering kids in attendance. This also included Shelbie’s parents, who met while serving in the Navy, as well as other family members.
As Shelbie stood in the middle of a long line of civic leaders and first responders, it didn’t take long for her to realize she was the reason why everyone was gathered and cheering for her.
Once the introductions were made, Mittelbach used the Bluetooth adaptor on her mobile phone with an audio speaker to play a recording made for the occasion by Roger Rosenberry, who was still recovering from multiple medical procedures.
“On September 9, I had a tremendous accident while working in my backyard, and I fell about 20 feet, bounced a few times on the fall on granite rocks before reaching the bottom of what we call a swell,” Rosenberry described as he narrated the accident.
His injuries were such that he was unable to reach his phone, which was hidden in the grass, and wasn’t sure how he would be found or rescued.
“Luckily, I heard a great sound, a Camas school bus coming down my street. I knew the kids that I saw each day would be departing the bus,” Rosenberry said, with his voice keeping the kids gathered for the event mesmerized. “I yelled ‘Help,’ and there was a response. Thanks to Shelbie, friends, and family, my rescue began.”
Rosenberry was rushed to Southwest Washington Trauma Center, undergoing multiple surgeries during a week of medical care before being released to a rehabilitation center. In closing his message, he thanked those who rescued him and the medical staff for “making this 74-year-old man still have some good years to enjoy.”
With that, a series of presentations began with the reading of three separate awards.
“It is with great admiration and gratitude that we present this award to Shelbie McQueen, a remarkable 3rd-grade student whose extraordinary actions exemplify bravery and selflessness beyond her years,” said Oregon Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Amber Erwin, as she recited the list of actions in The Certificate for Outstanding Heroism. “She has shown that no act is too small when it comes to helping others, and her actions have made a lasting impact.”
When a “Hero’s Medal” was presented by Oregon Army National Guard Lt. Col. Eric Christensen, Shelbie, along with her classmates, gasped as the Gold Medal, adorned at the end of a Blue Ribbon, was placed around her neck.
Then Cliff Free, Fire Chief of the Camas-Washougal Fire Department, presented Shelbie with an “Honorary Member of the Camas-Washougal Fire Department T-shirt,” noting the theme that has become prominent among the kids at Woodburn Elementary School.
“Never believe that you are too small or too young to ‘Say Something - When You See Something'," Free said, as the group repeated their shared chant in unison. “That’s what Shelbie did, and we would all like to thank her for that.”
It was fitting that Amber Rosenberry present the final award, as she was dressed in royal purple and wearing her Ms. Oregon crown.
“Now, all these awards are really nice and Shelbie, you should be very proud, but why do we do kind things? Amber Rosenberry said, asking Shelbie’s classmates. “To help others is the most important reason.”
With that, she gave Shelby a framed thank-you certificate from her father, saying, “We do these things for people who live near us, the people we meet every day, and help other people we may not know.”
As it became time for the students to return inside, Shelbie absorbed one final moment of cheers, then shyly blended into the procession with her classmates, knowing that one of their own had risen to become the newest hero in the city of Camas.
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2025 18:11 |
| Story ID: | 553199 |
| Location: | CAMAS, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Camas third-grader demonstrates that heroes come in all sizes, by John Hughel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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