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SAN ANTONIO, Texas
– In a quiet
ceremony during the
2009 Annual
Conference and
National Board,
Southwest Region
Chief of Staff Lt.
Col. Larry Mattiello,
assisted by
Southwest Region
Director of
Personnel and
Administration Maj.
Harriet Smith,
handed over Cadet
Lt. Col. Thomas
Kraft's Certificate
of Recognition for
Lifesaving to
Brownsville
Composite Squadron
Commander Maj. Sean
Crandall. The
latter accepted the
award on behalf of
Cadet Kraft, his
squadron's cadet
commander.
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(L-F) Maj.
Sean
Crandall,
Lt. Col.
Larry Mattiello
and Maj.
Harriet
Smith, as
Lt. Col.
Mattielly
reads the
citation.
(Photo: Maj.
Arthur
Woodgate) |
The citation reads
as follows,
On 14 July 2008,
C/Lt Col. Thomas
Kraft was working as
a lifeguard at the
Boy Scout summer
camp at Camp Perry
in Rio Hondo, Texas.
While Cadet Kraft
was on his break in
the camp’s store, he
heard the fog horn
blow from the
waterfront,
signaling that a
barge was headed
down the Arroyo
Colorado where other
boy scouts were
undergoing canoe
training. Even
though he was off
duty, he immediately
reported to the
docks to asses the
situation and make
sure that all scouts
had cleared the path
of the barge. At
that moment, he
noticed an
overturned canoe
with three stranded
scouts holding on to
it, and a barge
quickly approaching
them. He assisted a
fellow lifeguard in
preparing the chase
boat to retrieve the
scouts. While
attempting to start
the boat's engine,
there was a
malfunction
resulting in the
motor failing to
start. With extreme
haste, Cadet Kraft
donned a life jacket
and entered the
river to extract the
scouts himself.
Before the barge
reached the scouts,
Cadet Kraft
successfully rescued
all three scouts by
grabbing the back of
their life jackets,
and swimming them to
the river bank.
After the barge
passed, the canoe
was up righted, and
the scouts and Cadet
Kraft safely paddled
back to the dock,
unharmed. Thanks to
the quick and
decisive thinking of
Cadet Kraft, three
scouts avoided what
could have been a
fatal situation.
Cadet Kraft's heroic
actions and
dedication to his
duties brought great
credit upon himself
and the Civil Air
Patrol.
Cadet Kraft was
unable to attend
because of a
pressing engagement.
Maj. Arthur E.
Woodgate, CAP,
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