Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Spc. Andrew Lamkin, a combat medic,
With another Soldier’s help, he dragged PV2 McCauley to a sector of the rooftop that seemed safer and less exposed. Upon reaching it, however, SPC Lamkin and his patient were immediately taken under heavy rifle and RPG fire from insurgent gunmen across the street. Without regard to his own safety, SPC Lamkin used his own body as a shield, and began to stabilize his seriously wounded comrade as withering fire raked the rooftop around him.
SPC Lamkin realized that PV2 McCauley was unconscious and choking on his own blood. He quickly opened the casualty’s airway using a “J-tube,†enabling him to breathe although he was unconscious. The enemy continued to hammer the rooftop with RPG and rifle fire, but Lamkin shielded PV2 McCauley’s body with his own. Securing the “J-tube†with 550-cord in order to move his patient, SPC Lamkin called for the evacuation vehicle.
Before he could evacuate the casualty, however, SPC Lamkin helped carry him over a four-foot high wall, under fire, and then down three flights of stairs to the evacuation vehicle – an impressive show of stamina and strength.
On the ground floor, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle tasked to evacuate PV2 McCauley backed up to the door. As the wounded Soldier’s squad placed him in the Bradley, SPC Lamkin continued to scan for insurgent fighters. He identified two that were repositioning to interdict the MEDEVAC vehicle, and killed them both with accurate rifle fire.
SPC Lamkin demonstrated his expert marksmanship, medical skills and conspicuous gallantry; he is truly the epitome of the combat medic.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.