Two gold were given to other heroes in this same tragedy, two silver, and now this one.Īnd Time magazine said, "If the man in the water gave a lifeline to the people gasping for survival, he was likewise giving a lifeline to those who observed him.'' And I think that is true, because all of us had to stand a little taller witnessing this heroic deed and knowing now the man who gets the credit. And we are awarding to him this medal - some 607, I think it is, have been given in the 100 years' history of the medal. And we have here his family - Arland and Virginia Williams his son and daughter, Arland and Leslie, and the Vice Commander of the Coast Guard. And then when the helicopter went back for him, he was no longer there.Īnd now an investigation by the Coast Guard and a thorough study has made it known that Arland Williams, Jr., was the hero who gave his life that others might live. And for a long, long time we have known of the one man who repeatedly handed the line from the helicopter to others that he thought were in a worse situation than he was, saving five people in all. Those of us who do know of his bravery have remembered him only as the "unknown hero.'' And that was in the terrible tragedy that took place down here on January 13th, 1982, when the plane crashed into the bridge and into the ice-covered Potomac. Virtually everyone in the United States knows of his heroism and knows of his deed, but very few, if any, knew his name.
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