An eruption of flames, the hiss of a ruptured gas line, and a truck door warped from impact, unable to open—with an unconscious driver still inside. This is the scene that shattered the calm of an ordinary Sunday drive, instantly transforming into a life-changing test of courage. In the face of choking smoke and imminent danger, one Airman and his mother made a choice that would mean the difference between life and death.
On Oct. 26, 2025, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roy Langford, 97th Security Forces Squadron base defense operations center controller, and his mother, Lisa Steward, were on a drive in Choctaw, Oklahoma, when they spotted a burning truck and heroically rescued the unresponsive driver.
The incident occurred near the intersection of Northeast 10th and Henny Road, where a truck had collided with a support beam and gas line of a metal, barn-like structure. Langford and Steward, traveling together, spotted the aftermath—a truck engulfed in flames.
Langford and Steward, a civilian aircraft mechanic at Tinker Air Force Base, without hesitation, stopped the car and rushed toward the increasingly dire situation ahead.
“I wasn’t thinking about myself at all,” Langford explained. “I was thinking about getting him out and getting him safe.”
As they approached the vehicle, the fire raged, the gas line spewed from the crash and they noticed the driver was unconscious. The impact rendered the truck’s front door jammed and the driver’s legs were trapped. Langford climbed into the backseat of the truck, clambered over the center console and maneuvered the unconscious driver’s legs unstuck. Through the oppressive smog of chemicals, Langford and Steward pulled the driver out of the truck and began carrying him a safe distance away from the escalating wreckage.
“We ended up getting so exhausted from the chemicals we were breathing in that my mom and I both collapsed while we were trying to carry him,” Langford recalled. “I couldn’t stop coughing.”
Despite the intense physical strain, they persevered until they had carried the driver a safe distance from the burning vehicle. When the Choctaw Police Department, Fire Department, and ambulance arrived, Langford assisted the medical team and helped with traffic control. The Choctaw Police Department confirmed that the driver is alive thanks to the courageous efforts of Langford and Steward.
Senior Airman Langford’s extraordinary actions have not gone unnoticed. He was coined by U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Kind, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander. The coin is presented to those who exhibit courageous acts of valor in the face of grave danger or adversity.
“Senior Airman Langford's immediate response to this crisis embodies the core values we strive for in the United States Air Force,” said Kind. “By selflessly putting his own life at risk to save another, he exemplified the spirit for which this coin represents.”
Saving a life from a burning vehicle may be considered extraordinary, but for those who know Langford, it comes as no surprise. “He loves helping people,” Steward explained. “No matter who they are, whether they are family, friends, or co-workers, a lot of people have told me before that he has a really good heart.”
This act serves as a powerful testament to the true character of Langford. An Airman who consistently puts others before himself and who is a true example of what it means to be a hero, both in and out of uniform.