Table of Contents

Guardlife - Volume 31 No. 5

Guardsmen To The Rescue
By the Guardlife Staff, photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kryn Westhoven, 444 MPAD

The eight members of the 50th Main Support Battalion consisted of Staff Sgt. Joseph Quiles, Spc. Tyehimba Ames, Spc. Keiry Martinez and Sgt. Herminio Snachez in the front row, with Pvt. Chukwuemaka Chiazor, Spc. Trevor Crovitz, 2nd Lt. James Verrengia and Spc. Nick Du Mortier.Nine members of the 50th Main Support Battalion, Rear Detachment, had a day of kayaking turn into a rescue of two New Jerseyans from the Manasquan River Reservoir in Howell Township. The Soldiers were spending the day celebrating a first place win in a volleyball tournament they participated in during training with the 250th Forward Support Battalion at Sea Girt.

While kayaking on the river, Maj. John N. Tumino and his volleyball teammates, 2nd Lt. James Verrengia, Staff Sgt. Joseph F. Quiles, Sgt. Herminio Sanchez, and Specialists Tyehimba Ames, Trever Crovitz, Nick Dumortier, Keiry Martiniz and Pvt. Chukwuemaka Chiazor saw trouble. Michael Griffith and his father William, were out fishing for the day when their boat overturned off a dock on the river. Although both wore lifejackets, neither can swim well.

William was also trapped under the overturned boat. The nine Soldiers were able to pull both of the Griffiths to safety from the water.

“It was totally a natural reaction of the Citizen-Soldier,” said Tumino. “When Soldiers see someone in danger, whether from natural disaster, war or like this-physical danger, they are going to help.”

“I want to thank those guys any way I can,” Michael Griffith stated. “Thanking those guys is important to me.”