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Army Guardsman Receives Soldier’s Medal For Bravery
(August 24, 2010) | 
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ARLINGTON, Va., -- “An angel in disguise” is how Army Maj. Nathlon Jackson was
described by Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley at a ceremony here at the Army
National Guard Readiness Center, Aug. 19. |
McKinley, who is the chief of the National Guard Bureau, presented the
Soldier’s Medal to Jackson, adding that “soldiers like Jackson are what the
National Guard is all about, people helping those in need.”
The Soldier’s Medal is the highest non-combat medal awarded for heroism.
On Jan. 11, Jackson, who is section chief for the Army Guard’s enlisted
policy branch, was walking from the readiness center to her car for lunch,
when she saw smoke pouring from a house.
“As I walked over to the house, I could smell that something was burning,
rather than just it being smoke from a pot burning in the kitchen,” she
said. “I opened the mail slot with my hand and started to yell inside
‘hello, hello’ to see if anyone was home.”
A neighbor from across the street came outside during the commotion and told |
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Army Maj. Nathlon Jackson recieves the Soldier's Medal
from Gen. Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, during a ceremony
at the Army Guard Readiness Center, Aug. 18. Jackson received the award for her
bravery, Jan. 11 when she entered a burning home and rescued a victim inside who
had been overcome by smoke from the fire. The Soldier's Medal is the Army's
highest non-combat medal that can be awarded.
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Jackson that someone was inside the burning house. She also provided Jackson
with a key to the residence. |
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Jackson entered the home and proceeded up to the bedroom, where she found
Shirley Rollins, who was overcome by smoke.
Rollins, who attended the ceremony and has lived in the neighborhood next to the
readiness center for 62 years, said that she remembers nothing from that day.
“I remember going to bed the night before, but I don’t remember waking up to
smoke,” she said. “Since I live by myself, nobody else was there, and the cat
was gone, but neighbors … came to rescue me.”
During the ceremony, Rollins thanked an emotional Jackson for being such a
wonderful person and thanked Jackson’s mother for bringing such a wonderful
daughter into the world.
Humbled by the experience and all of the attention she has received since
January, Jackson said, “You should help who you can.”
“It was a natural instinct for me to help Miss Shirley … you need to help
someone in need and not pass them by,” said Jackson. “As soldiers, that’s what
we do and that is why I joined the Army National Guard.” | |
Article and photo by Army Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau
Copyright 2010
Provided
through DVIDS
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