by B. Mike Bunge
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
This spring, I was asked to speak at the yearly safety awards banquet about my friendship with James and how he touched my life. He was a long-time businessman in the construction field in Oklahoma City and a close friend of the supply company sponsoring the banquet. I was standing at the podium looking out at all the people, and all I could do was think of him. Standing at the back of the room were policemen, firemen, and paramedics. Outside, I could see the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances, along with a police helicopter.
I began my story, telling of a friend I met when I was a young man just out of the military and college. That was over 40 years ago. James gave me my first job in construction. Forty-some years later, we were still friends.
But long ago, when I was just an upstart in the construction field, I went out with him on one of the projects we were doing. We were putting up acoustical ceilings at a church being built in Enid, Oklahoma, working on scaffolding 60 feet in the air. Then, in a flash, the scaffold tower began to lean and started to topple over. There was a man standing in its direct path. No words were said. Only movement! Movement so fast it was a blur. James ran to that man and pushed him as hard as he could.
The tower came tumbling down and crashed to the concrete floor below. That falling tower clipped James’ arm, but luckily, he was clear of the impact. Ray, the man James saved, was a dear friend to both of us for years to come. Many times I wanted to tell everyone the story of how he had saved Ray, but James caught my eye and stopped me without saying a word. He was a hero, and I wanted to shout it out to the world. But James would not allow it.
Some people react to danger differently from others. Putting yourself in harm’s way can be foolish, stupid, or heroic. The uniformed civil servants of this country are heroes. Not just my hero, but America’s heroes. They will always stand tall in my eyes, just like my friend James.
At the end of the banquet, the smiles and handshakes of the emergency personnel said it all. James died last October, and it was time to tell his story. The banquet was just an evening, but what my friend did will live in my heart forever.
Available in The Best of HeroicStories, Volume 1.
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