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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (5/9/2012) - Petty Officer
3rd Class Todd Angell received one of the nation's highest military
awards for valor, the Silver Star, for his heroism in Afghanistan as
a corpsman with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment,
2nd Marine Division.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Todd Angell, a corpsman with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, poses next to Cpl. Brandon Rumbaugh, a close friend of Angell's and a Marine whose life he helped save in Afghanistan, after receiving the Silver Star April 27,
2012. Angell earned the award for his heroism in Afghanistan, and Rumbaugh pinned the medal to him during the ceremony. Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Neil A. Sevelius |
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Cpl. Brandon Rumbaugh, a close friend of Angell's and a Marine whose
life he helped save in Afghanistan, pinned the medal on the Bethel,
Conn., native during a ceremony April 27.
Rumbaugh, a
Uniontown, Pa., native, became a double amputee after stepping on an
improvised explosive device. Angell was one of the service members
who rushed to his aid and started him on intravenous fluids and
medication.
“One of the hardest (casualties) I worked on was
Rumbaugh; he was one of the most unstable casualties I had. He was
actually less stable than a kid I treated with a gunshot wound to
the head,” said Angell. “I did everything I could, but I didn't know
if it was enough. Having him pin me meant the world to me. Just to
have Rumbaugh alive to pin me, that's more than any Silver Star or
any medal.” |
Rumbaugh wasn't the only one Angell saved during his tour
in Afghanistan. Angell risked his life on many occasions to
save others because he said, “If that means being hurt on
the way, so be it.”
During one incident Oct. 12,
2010, Angell took a Marine fire team and unknowingly ran
more than 500 meters through an IED hotspot to provide
immediate care for Marines injured by IEDs, rather than wait
for vehicles to navigate the difficult terrain in the area.
“I just grabbed my gear and just ran. It was a long
run, probably the longest run of my life. I was pretty broke
off by the time I got up there,” said Angell.
Another
incident Nov. 8, 2010, involved the treatment of an Afghan
National Army soldier who stepped on an IED. Angell was
following a Marine handling a minesweeper to get to the
wounded soldier when the Marine struck an IED. Angell
assessed the Marine's injury before moving toward the
soldier, where he applied tourniquets to both amputated
legs, administered intravenous fluids and stabilized the
soldier. As he was treating the soldier, an explosive
ordnance disposal Marine working onsite also struck an IED,
receiving minor blast injuries. After treating the three
injured men and ensuring the safe evacuation of the soldier,
a firefight broke out, resulting in a local resident being
shot in the head. Angell treated the civilian promptly and
saved his life.
Angell wasn't done yet. On Dec. 20,
2010, it was his combat skills that shined. During a
firefight, Angell killed two insurgents at distances up to
400 meters. As the firefight continued, Angell also acted as
the assistant mortar gunner. By the end of the day, he had
fired 17 mortar rounds at enemy positions.
“I don't
see Doc Angell as a corpsman,” said Cpl. James D. Freeman, a
rifleman and a native of Woodberry, Tenn., who spent the
latter half of his deployment in Angell's platoon. “He's
just another Marine who knows how to fix people better than
we can.”
Angell's platoon leader said he also felt he
was one of the best corpsman he's seen in his 17 years in
the Marine Corps.
“Doc Angell is a constant
professional; they broke the mold with that guy,” said Staff
Sgt. Ysidro R. Gonzalez, Angell's platoon sergeant during
the deployment. “Doc Angell never hesitated under fire, and
I believe that his devotion and dedication to his Marines is
what drove him in the eyes of the enemy to perform the way
he did. He never once thought of himself; he always thought
of his Marines, no matter what was on their collar, and for
the Afghans as well. I just can't say enough good things
about that kid.”
The ceremony brought out many
different emotions from fellow service members in
attendance, but the most commonplace was pride.
“It
made me feel very proud of that kid. I'm very proud of him
and proud to know him and (to) have been a small paragraph
in Doc Angell's life,” said Gonzales, a San Diego native.
“The only other way I can describe it is like a father
watching his son graduate (recruit training) or something.
Doc Angell is a great American; he saved a lot of lives.
Everybody always talks bad about the kids of this
generation, your youth and all that, and how they don't
measure up to everything else, but whoever says those things
have never seen a young man like Doc Angell in combat.”
Marines in Angell's squad describe him as confident in
his medical abilities, a people person, and, most
importantly, someone who made them feel safe on patrol.
“I'd say Doc Angell was there for me every time we
stepped outside the wire. He loved to take care of his
Marines,” said Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Hagem, a mortarman in
Angell's platoon during the deployment. “When he came up and
helped Rumbaugh out, I was there for that. I'd say it was a
combination of his duty and love of his Marines. Yes, he
knew he had to do his job as a corpsman, but he had the
drive of like, ‘I'm not just doing this as a corpsman, I'm
doing this because these guys are my friends. Yeah, I want
come home, but I want to see these guys come home just as
much.' If you love that person who's hurt, you're going to
get there no matter what, and Doc Angell and Rumbaugh are
real close.”
Angell acted with complete disregard
for his own personal safety, and his actions are a testament
to his devotion to the Marines he served, but he humbly
attributes his successes to those around him.
"This
is not an individual award," said Angell. "Even though it
was awarded to me, this is for all of my Marines; because
they did their jobs, I was able to do mine."
By USMC Cpl. Walter Marino II
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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