American Red Cross Honors Real Heroes

ANACORTES, Wash. (NNS) -- American Red Cross Islands Chapter honored 16 Sailors and community members at a Real Heroes Breakfast, March 21.

According to the redcross.org, every year the American Red Cross honors community members all through the Fidalgo, Whidbey and San Juan Islands, who through astonishing acts of courage have demonstrated heroism.

Three Sailors received the award: Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Cailin Weller, assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron (VP) 1; Seaman Apprentice Ryan Dodd, and Aviation Structural Mechanic 2nd Class Jeremy Porter, both assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 46.

Weller performed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to an unresponsive passenger aboard an Island Transit bus.

"I just went into auto pilot mode and did what I was trained to do," Weller said.

Dodd and Porter aided in CPR to a ten-month old infant who was unresponsive.

"I am honored to be called a hero, but I believe the greatest reward was seeing the mother's relief on her face when her baby was breathing," Dodd said.

Dodd said he was on a jog when he saw a lady in distress. She was screaming for someone to call 911, and that's when he ran to her and she was holding her baby.

"His eyes were rolled back, his lips blue, and he was unresponsive," Dodd said. "I asked if I could perform CPR and when she complied I began infant CPR."

It took about 15 to 20 seconds before there was any response from the baby, but he continued CPR until there was a better response, said Dodd. Porter arrived at the scene, called 911 and helped maintain the child's airway. Soon after calling 911, the paramedics arrived and took the baby and mother to the hospital.

"I don't think of myself as a hero," Porter said. "I did what I thought anyone should do and I hope that anyone would do that for my kid."

Dodd said it was a simple matter of luck that he happened to be in that neighborhood during his jog.

"I happened to be at the right place at the right time," Dodd said. "Coincidence? I don't think so."

VP-46 Command Master Chief Loy S. Howser said the squadron could not be more proud of the two Sailors who took it upon themselves to serve another.

"Porter and Dodd not only represented VP-46 well, but the whole Navy community living here in Oak Harbor, [Wash.]," Howser said. "The core values we live by: honor, courage, and commitment are embodied in these two Sailors.

"They have truly embraced one of the most basic concepts, together everyone achieves more," Howser said. "They made a difference, not for themselves, but for others."

According to redcross.org, the Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves Fidalgo, Whidbey and the San Juan Islands, responds annually to almost 20 local disasters, trains close to 2,000 residents in life-saving skills, and provides service to more than 4,100 military personnel and their families within the community.

The 13 community members who also received the award were Paige Jackson, a seventh grader at North Whidbey High School; police officers Jackie Richter and Gordon Alves, with the Anacortes Police Department; Dayton Long, with the Snohomish Police Department; Earl Cowan, with the Swinomish Police Department; Irene Bullock, a retired firefighter and emergency medical technician (EMT); Station Capt. Wayne Barlage, James Panek, Michael Wenzel, and Robert Berry, firefighters and EMTs with Navy Region Northwest Fire & Emergency Services; and Tony Fyrvqvist, Lori Brown, and Cindy Mullis, with Friday Harbor.

For more news from Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Northwest, visit www.navy.mil/local/nwpacen/.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Northwest, visit, www.navy.mil/local/cnrnw.