Unlikely Hero

I’m writing this story tonight about a man I knew when we were both young. We weren’t friends. I honestly don’t recall every speaking to him. We went to school together, graduated in 1981 and never saw each other again.

He wasn’t a jock with a body of muscle and cheerleaders in tow. He wasn’t a nerd, with an IQ of 150. From what I remember he was just your average, ordinary, young man. For the past 27 years the only time I every thought about him was when I’d go through the yearbook and see his picture.

This all changed recently when he made the news in my hometown for an act of bravery, which I just learned about yesterday. Although I have very few details I feel compelled to write something about him. For personal reasons, I won’t reveal his full name, but he was known to everyone as Acey.

I don’t have all the details, but I do know this. A tree started to fall on a 3-year-old little boy. Acey ran towards the boy and pushed him out of the way and in doing so was caught in the path of the tree.

Following multiple surgeries, Acey sits now in a hospital facing months of therapy to deal with two broken shoulders, a broken neck and a broken leg. The little boy, by the way, is fine.

This type of gallantry is something you only hear about when reading of Marines, Navy Seals and Medal of Honor winners. Men, who without hesitation, were willing to sacrifice themselves for another.

So here’s to Acey. A man who faced a horrible situation, took action without thought for his personal safety and saved the life of a small child.

Tonight, raise your glass for another American Hero.