Alive and Alone (25 page)

The chopper stood still in the air for a minute or two and then slowly began to lower to the ground.  From the window in the side door, David could see two ambulances and scores of people, including the press.  He grew more concerned when he heard the aircraft touch ground.  A few minutes later the engines began to give a different pitch, so he knew the aircraft engines were shut down.

Hands reached in and helped the three to waiting ambulances as a military representative said, “The survivors are being taken to the hospital for routine medical evaluations.  Following the evaluations, the United States Air Force will hold an official press conference in the medical facility.”

Once in the ambulance, David was strapped to a gurney and the man beside him said, “I am Technical Sergeant Lopez and if you need anything during the short ride, let me know.”

“I’m fine, but when will I see my mother?”

“She was at the hospital the last time I saw her, with Colonel Wilcox.  But, it might be an hour or so before she’s allowed to see you.  The doctor wants to give you a good going over before you have any visitors.”

Nodding, David closed his eyes and relaxed.  He was finally home.  Then he thought,
Dad, I made it!  I want you to know, I didn’t give up!
 
I love you, dad
!

The medical technician saw the tears on David’s face, but never knew the reason.

Two hours later, as he rested in a hospital bed, his mother entered the room with Colonel Wilcox.  She ran to his bedside and held him closely, not saying a word.  Finally, after about five minutes, David said, “Mom, look at me.  I have something to say to you.”

She broke her hug, looked into her son’s eyes as he said, “I was with dad when he died.  He was a brave man, mom, and while in pain he kept telling me how to survive.”

Cathy gave a cry of anguish, threw her arms around her son and said, “Let’s not talk about your father right now.  I’m so thankful to have you home!”

Seeing Colonel Wilcox, David said, “Thank you for bringing me home, sir.”

The colonel extended his hand and said as they shook, “Welcome home David.  We got to you as soon as we could.”

“I know you did and Sergeant Banks deserves a medal for what he did for us.”

“We’re well aware of the performance of Sergeant Banks and he’ll have his medal.”

At that point, a flight surgeon entered the room and asked, “David, other than your badger marks you’re in great shape.  I understand Sergeant Banks gave you some penicillin for the infection, so I’ll give you some pills to take at home.  As far as I’m concerned, you can leave now, if you want.”

His mom was still hugging him, so David said, “Mom, did you hear the doctor?  I can go home now.  Mom?”

Smiling, the colonel said, “Give her a few more minutes David, she thought she’d lost both of you.”

Kissing her on the forehead, David said, “I’m home now Mom and I love you.”

A week after returning, David was the guest on a nationwide talk show.  He was nervous and sat between his mother and sister.

The director raised three fingers and then lowered them one at a time.  Finally, he pointed at the show’s host.

“Good morning, I’m George Burton and welcome to Your News This Morning.  We have a special guest with us today, David Wade, who survived weeks in some of the roughest country in the world  the frozen wilderness of Alaska.  David is a young man who survived a bear attack, temperatures as low as minus fifty, and who walked miles over frozen tundra.  Good morning David.”

“Good morning.”

“David, at any time during your situation did you ever feel like giving up?”

“I felt like giving up every single day and it was hard, especially after my dad died.  I would have given up, but my father taught me determination when it came to survival.  He called it the will to survive.

“Why didn’t you give up, David?”

“I promised my dad I’d live and it was a promise I had to keep.  I called on God when I felt really low.” David said as his eyes watered and then added, “My father was a very special man and when he died he was more worried about me than himself.  How many folks would be like that?  Don’t you see, I had to live for my dad.”

“He sounds like a very courageous man and you’re a lot like him, I might add.”

Wiping his eyes, David replied, “I hope I’m one tenth the man my father was.”

Marie was sitting quietly when the show’s host turned to her and asked, “Marie, how did you feel when you discovered your brother was alone and your father dead?”

Marie blinked a few times and then said, “I don’t mean to be rude, but what kind of a dumb question is that?  How do you
think
I felt?  You remind me of a report I once saw on TV where a woman lost her whole family in a house fire. The reporter had the nerve to ask her, ‘How to you feel?’  Are all reporters stupid or just some of you?”

Taken back by the sudden attack, the host blushed and quickly said, “Well, perhaps you took my question in a negative way.  I meant would you explain your feelings for our viewers.”

David and his mother exchanged grins, knowing little Marie had just put the major reporter in his place.

“David and I are normal kids and that means we fight at times.  I love my brother and I’m very proud of him.  I respect him a great deal now, knowing he survived all alone on a mountain.  Like anyone who loves another person, I was frightened he might die alone on some snowy clump of rock not knowing I loved him.”

“Does that mean you’ll no longer fight?”

Marie laughed and replied, “I suspect we’ll still fight at times, but not over little things like we once did.  Didn’t you fight with your brothers and sisters?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you fought with your siblings.”

“Of course I didn't, see I was an only child.”

Marie smiled and replied, “I’m sure you were.”

Later, back home, David began to do the things he’d always done and for some reason they didn’t excite him as they once had.  He missed his dad and while he talked about his feelings with his mother, he had refused to see anyone associated with the mental health field.

A month after the rescue, Sergeant Banks arrived at the door and when he entered, he saw David sitting at the kitchen table.  Smiling he said, “David, I’m getting a couple of medals tomorrow and wondered if you would attend.  I have a surprise for you once it’s over.”

“Sure, we’ll come, won’t we mom?”  

Cathy started to say no, but changed her mind because Banks had done so much for her son.  Smiling, she said, “We wouldn’t miss it for anything.  What time and where?”

“Fourteen hundred, uh, I mean, two in the afternoon, at the Search and Rescue Squadron.”

Laughing, Cathy said, “John, I know military time.  I’ve been around Elmendorf all of my life.  If nothing else has rubbed off, military time has.”

“Well,” Banks said embarrassed, “My wife and I would love to see you there.”  Then turning to David he added, “Wear something nice for me, it’s a special day.”

At fourteen hundred hours, David and his family were sitting in a big meeting room when a senior master sergeant, with a sleeve full of stripes, stepped in and yelled, “Ten-hut!”

Men and women stood at attention as Colonel Wilcox entered and said, “Be seated.”  He moved to the podium and cleared his throat, before saying, “We are here today to honor men of our own.  It gives me extreme personal pleasure in recognizing five men this afternoon for their actions in the Wade rescue.  At that point, Zee and his crew, along with Sergeant Banks walked in, one behind the other, and stood facing the audience.  Each of Zee’s crew was presented medals individually and citations were read for each man.  Finally, Colonel Wilcox moved to Banks and stood at attention as a narrator read three citations. At the end of each reading, the colonel would pin the medal to his left chest and then shake his hand.  When the ceremony was over for Banks, he wore an Air Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and an Airman’s Medal.  He’d also been promised his next performance report would be endorsed by both General Moores and the PACAF commander.

Turning to face the audience, the colonel grinned and said, “Now, because we had a left over strip on base, Sergeant Banks is now Staff Sergeant Banks.”  He handed a set of stripes to the surprised sergeant and said, “Well done, John.”

Returning to the podium, Colonel Wilcox said, “Staff Sergeant Banks now has a special presentation he’d like to do.  John, if you’ll come up here, I’ll turn this show over to you.”

Banks walked to the microphone and said, “As most of you know, training to be in pararescue is hard and many of the people who try out don’t have what it takes.”  Then, pulling a sheet of paper from his uniform blouse, he continued with, “Mister David Wade, would you come forward, please.”  

David made his way to the front of the room and stood looking at the group.  He saw grizzled old sergeants with more stripes than a zebra and lots of officers.  He suddenly felt nervous.

“This young man survived in the arctic all alone for many long and cold days. He lived on a mountain, following the death of his father, and faced temperatures as low as minus fifty.  He made his own shelter, gathered his own water, and even procured his own food.  Then, seeing smoke in the distance, he walked for many miles over open tundra toward that smoke and his only chance for survival.  The temperature, ladies and gentlemen, was an average of minus twenty and he did it for days!  David did something that many of us in this room could not have done.  He survived an extremely hostile environment to live another day and it is with great pleasure I award him the position of an honorary P.J. in the United States Air Force, along with an honorary enlisted rank of sergeant.”

Stepping forward, Banks picked up a maroon beret, with the distinguished emblem of a pararescueman on the front.  Placing it on David’s head, he saluted him, and then said, “Always remember this moment David and keep in mind our motto.”

“That others may live.”  David replied with a serious tone.

There came a loud round of yelling, clapping and catcalls, before Banks raised his hands and said, “That concludes my award, but I invite all of you to stay a while and enjoy the punch and pastries.”

Moving to David’s side a little later, Banks said, “You deserve the honor you received today David.”

An older man moved forward, cracked a big tooth gapped grin and said, “By golly, I was proud of ya both!”

“Vittles!”  David cried and moved to hug the man.

“Easy son, ya cain’t hug me like yer doin’ fer long, I’m an old man, remember?”

Laughing, David replied, “I’m surprised, first the beret and now you!”

“Ya didn’t think I’d forget two special men now did ya?”

Banks laughed and said, “Let’s mingle with the crowd a little David and then we’ll all three go out for a drink or burger.”