Monday, January 19, 2026
standing ovation for UPS driver Willy Esquival for running into a burning house to save a 101 year old woman
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
the stuff you aren't taught in school, about the brave people that do extraordinary things that aren't typical heroic actions... have you ever heard of the chopper crew that stopped the the Mỹ Lai massacre? Courage of conscience is rare
Thursday, December 04, 2025
it's time again, to think back over the past year, and nominate a hero! Entries must be in by Jan 31st. the Goodyear Highway Hero Award program has honored professional truck drivers who have acted selflessly for the good of others on highways across North America.
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Standing ovation for San Diego UPS driver Derrick West for doing some hero work!
Soon after, a UPS truck with two people inside, delivery driver Derrick West at the wheel, drove past the scene. On the ground was Ostermann, a grandfather and Air Force veteran, was surrounded by a lot of blood. Three people stood nearby.
"Instinctively, I just started taking off my belt," West said, and applied a tourniquet to Ostermann's leg for several minutes before emergency crews arrived, and he was airlifted to a hospital.
Ostermann has since undergone four surgeries. His femoral artery was damaged, and he suffered fractures throughout his body, including his leg, pelvis, and ribs. He is now in stable condition.
Doctors said West had been five minutes from dying of blood loss.
Monday, February 17, 2025
You might have heard of the Challenger Pace Car catastrophe... but did you notice in the article about that crash, that John Glenn was in the car? I didn't, and I posted the dang article in 2017!
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
the Navy christened a destroyer for Marine, an Irish-born recipient of the Navy Cross, who jumped on grenade in Vietnam to save his comrades in Vietnam... Patrick Gallagher.
Friday, July 19, 2024
The Saturday shooting that grazed Trump's right ear also killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore, and volunteer with the Lernerville Speedway Safety Crew for over 20 years.
Thursday, May 09, 2024
Reckless, a horse born in June 1948 in South Korea, bred to be a racehorse, but never had a chance to race because the Korean War broke out in 1950 when she was two-years-old. The Marine Corps not only fell in love with her - but honored her and promoted her every chance they got.
But it wasn’t long before Sergeant Reckless proved herself to be much more than just a pack animal. She quickly learned to navigate the treacherous terrain of the Korean War, carrying supplies and evacuating wounded soldiers to safety without hesitation. She often travelled to deliver supplies on her own, without a handler. In fact, she became so vital to the unit that they renamed themselves the “Reckless Rifle Platoon.”
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Standing ovation for the heroes of the day! Locomotive Engineers William Kennedy and Shawn Loughran, plus assistant Conductor Marcus Higgins, rescued an autistic 3 yr old kid near Tarrytown, who got onto the train tracks (where there is an electrified 3rd rail)
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Sunday, April 24, 2022
Standing ovation for Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Puzynski, who risked his own life when he scaled several balconies, in the dark of night, to rescue a toddler from the 3rd floor of a burning Orange County apartment building. That's some hero work right there!
Friday, September 10, 2021
The cyclist who saved Jews in wartime Italy, Gino Bartali, the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1936 and 1937, and the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948 thank you Doug M !
In the middle of the 1938 Tour de France, Mussolini published a Manifesto on Race, which led later to Jews being stripped of citizenship or any position in government or the professions.
His role in the network was uniquely suited to his talents - he became a courier. On the face of it he was undertaking the long training rides for which he was renowned, but in reality he was carrying photographs and counterfeit identity documents to and from a secret printing press, because he was was known to cover large distances with his bicycle for training purposes, he hid forged documents in his bike frame and handle bars, forged documents that were produced by the Assisi network, another rescue operation initiated by Church people in that town.
When Bartali was stopped and searched, he specifically asked that his bicycle not be touched since the different parts were very carefully calibrated to achieve maximum speed.
At the age of 11, in order to attend middle school in Florence, Gino needed transportation. With his own earnings and with help from his father and sisters, he purchased his first bicycle. While riding the hilly roads of the region, Bartali started to develop and refine his racing skills. In 1931, at the age of 17, he won his first race.
On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on France and Great Britain. In October, Bartali was called to active duty. Because of an irregular heartbeat, he was assigned to be an army messenger. Allowed to use his bicycle for his missions, Bartali was able to continue training and racing for the next three years.
As the war progressed and cycling races were cancelled, Bartali's cover began to appear less credible. In July 1944, Bartali was interrogated at Villa Triste (Sorrow House) in Florence, where local Fascist officials imprisoned and tortured their prisoners. Fortunately, one of Bartali's interrogators happened to be his one-time army commander, who convinced the other interrogators that Bartali was innocent of any charges.
He went on to win the Giro d'Italia in 1946. With a stunning performance in the mountains of France, he won the 1948 Tour de France (10 years after his first Tour de France victory).
The program will offer children between the ages of 14-17 the opportunity to apply to attend a course dedicated to training riders in mountain biking, road cycling, BMX and track cycling.
Up to 24 children from across the world will be accepted onto the course with the program dedicated to involving participants from all different faiths and socio-economic backgrounds.
Thursday, February 18, 2021
standing applause for David Gehrke, who was out clearing roads at 4 a.m. in West Bend, Wisconsin last Friday when he found a 5-year-old boy who wandered away from home in subzero temperatures, alone and cold without a jacket or shoes.
For some reason a babysitter was in charge, at 4am on a Friday... odd. But anyway, the kid decided to head outside....
and the city snowplow operator, David Gehrke, was not just on the job, but on alert for problems... and hey, he most likely saved the kids life. 5 year olds ain't going to last long until hypothermia gets them.
https://abc13.com/snow-plow-driver-child-found-saved-reduced/10350414/
the word is that the kid woke up, thought he was alone, and went out to walk to his nearby grandfathers
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
standing applause for Waldo Fidele! who observes every can in his garbage truck's surveillance camera as it gets dumped into the back, and saw a little kid... and saved that kids life by his professionalism and constant attention to duty
A 7-year-old Florida boy who was hiding inside a garbage can, is lucky to be alive after he was scooped up and dumped into a sanitation truck next to a trash compactor.
Elias Quezada escaped Tuesday’s petrifying ordeal without even a scratch, thanks to the very alert and heroic driver
Quezada was playing outside his grandmother’s home in Hillsborough County when he decided to climb in her trash can, he was soon scooped up and dumped into a sanitation truck as it collected trash in the neighborhood.
The garbage truck’s automatic claw scooped up the can and dumped the boy into the bed of the garbage filled vehicle – just inches from the active blade
In a matter of seconds, Elias thought it was going to be “the end” for him.
“I got picked up and thrown to where I was going to be a mashed potato,” he said.
Fidele immediately turned off the truck’s blade and called 911.
But luckily for Elias, the driver was trained to observe every can in the truck’s surveillance camera as it gets dumped into the back. Waldo Fidele said he saw something drop and immediately turned off the truck’s blade. Fidele immediately called 911.
https://nypost.com/2021/02/15/florida-boy-hiding-in-garbage-can-survives-sanitation-truck/
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
On this day in 1945, Audie Murphy climbed a burning tank and blasted Nazis with a 50 cal
On a frigid January afternoon in 1945, Company B, 15th Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was attacked on the outskirts of Holtzwihr, France, by six tanks and an estimated 250 German infantrymen, who were determined to wrest the Bois de Riedwihr from the Americans.
Certain that his decimated company could not withstand the German onslaught, 1st Lt. Audie L. Murphy ordered his men to fall back to safety deep in the forest. After expending all his carbine ammunition at the enemy, Murphy himself prepared to fall back.
Suddenly, he spotted a .50-caliber machine gun on the turret of a burning tank destroyer. Knowing that his position had to be held at all costs, Murphy climbed on top and began firing the machine gun at the oncoming Germans. He would later be awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroics.1 day ago
Monday, November 23, 2020
Fire Captain, Paramedic and Tactical Medic in Montrose Colorado, Bill Martindale runs the local chapter of a non-profit that provides handmade beds for underprivileged kids. Respect. Applause for him, and the Decked company for sharing his story

Bill is the type of guy you want on your team during a zombie apocalypse.
Sunday, November 01, 2020
Neerja Bhanot saved 360 lives on Pan Am Flight 73 which had been hijacked by terrorists during a stopover in Karachi, Pakistan, on 5 September 1986, just two days before her 23rd birthday.
Out of the 44 Americans on board, 42 were saved owing to Bhanot’s presence of mind.
Bhanot’s calm courage and quick instincts led to a slew of posthumous awards, including the Ashoka Chakra — India’s highest peacetime gallantry award. She was the first woman, first civilian, and youngest recipient of the award.
Her story continues to inspire young women, and in order to commemorate her courage, Bhanot’s family used the funds from Pan Am to set up the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust. The trust recognises Indian women who overcome social injustice and airline crew members who go beyond the call of duty in a crisis.
Among other honours, Bhanot was conferred with the Tamgha-e-Insaniyat award by Pakistan, and in 2004, the Indian Postal Service released a stamp in her memory.
In 2016, Ram Madhvani directed a biopic starring Sonam Kapoor as Neerja. The biopic is a stylised thriller with a few lovely glimpses into Bhanot’s personal life, especially her relationship with her mother (played by Shabana Azmi). The film, too, won a number of awards, including the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Hindi.
Sunday, September 06, 2020
salute to Arkansas State Trooper 1st Class Moomey for sacrifice and heroism, driving head on into a drunk driver on an interstate to prevent the drunk from injuring or killing innocent drivers
Dash cam from Moomey's patrol car shows the officer approaching a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction. Moomey said he tried to block the speeding vehicle from crashing into other oncoming vehicles.
https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/back-to-school/arkansas-state-trooper-back-to-work-after-year-long-recovery/527-d5d1ab91-303d-4d95-8e46-0f4ecbf968f7
via https://marty101sblog.tumblr.com/post/628455783205568512/this-morning-arkansas-state-trooper-1st-class
Thursday, August 27, 2020
oddly, there is no Wikipedia entry for George Hurst (Thanks Steve!)
the one guy that added more fun to hot rodding than probably any other, (with only an 8th grade formal education)
The Hurst Armed Forces Club!
the GTO races,
the Hairy Olds,
the shifters!
The Jaws of Life!
The Hurst Hemi Under Glass 'Cuda,
the Hurst SC/Rambler,
the Hurst Baja Boot,
the Gasser Passer
the Hurst Shawnee Scout
the Hurst Jeepster,
the Shifty Doc Watson traveling performance clinic,
and Hurst Super Stock AMXs, Darts, Barracudas,
the Hurst Olds,
and Hurst Airheart brakes - who compares to all this?
There is a wikipedia entry for Hurst Performance... it's not very good
George Hurst worked with more car companies than maybe anyone I know of. Jeep, Pontiac, Dodge, Oldsmobile, International Harvester, and AMC.
For a good look through some cool stuff that the Hurst performance company made: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/04/cool-hurst-stuff-coming-to-auction-from.html
Born in New York City in 1927, died in 1986, Redlands California, in his garage. Suicide by carbon monoxide.
George's mom, Antoinette, was a naturalized citizen from Kutai Hora Czechoslovakia
His dad was a WW1 Army vet who worked for the National Biscuit Co in New York City
And there you have the most thorough info on his life before going into car parts business that the rest of the world is already familiar with. How about that... WW2 air craft carrier duty. I've never heard that before (thanks Steve!) Correction, I forgot, I had posted that he was an Navy Aircraft Machinist https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-frantic-fish.html
After the Navy, 1943-1954, he resettled in eastern Pennsylvania in 1954 and became very active in the local drag racing scene.
His marriage didn't work out and no one even mentions the name of his wife. It was Lila, and they divorced in 1984
When he made Almquist's acquaintance, Hurst and Campbell were working out of a garage outside Philadelphia in Abington, with engine mounts as their lead product, when two problems occurred. First, a California firm began producing copies of their engine mounts. Next, Hurst became separated from his wife.
In the mid-fifties, he and his friend Bill Campbell started a garage in Abington, Pennsylvania, where they built aftermarket engine mounts for performance cars. Although Hurst’s formal mechanical training was limited, he had an intuitive knack for automotive engineering and, more importantly, was a natural showman with a flair for clever promotions.
Hurst Performance was originally named Hurst-Campbell. The company was established in 1958 as an auto repair shop when George Hurst and Bill Campbell were both young men. An older man named Lawrence Greenwald (who is credited, among other things, as one of the inventors of stretch nylon hosiery), took certain cars from his collection to Hurst's shop for repair. Greenwald saw promise in Hurst and Campbell and decided to finance them in a venture to manufacture large aftermarket bumpers for VW buses, which were becoming increasingly popular.
When Volkswagen began manufacturing its own large bumpers for the buses, Hurst-Campbell branched out into the piston-driven gearshift business.
After some early setbacks, Hurst and Campbell formed a partnership with Jonas Anchel and Ed Almquist, founders of the speed shop Anco Industries. Together, they developed and launched several new products, including a revised engine mount design called Adjusta-Torque and a floor-mounted shift linkage for three-speed manual transmissions.
An agreement between Almquist and Hurst, in which the two decided to focus on aftermarket retailing and component development, respectively, endured for the rest of Hurst's life.
At that point, a new employee of the equally new Hurst Performance Inc., Jack "Doc" Watson, described by Almquist as then a gofer, made a personal connection that would set the company's role in history. Through his mother, Watson made a contact with Pontiac, which ended up selecting a four-speed version of the Hurst shifter as standard equipment for its 1961 Catalina powered by the 421-cu.in. Super Duty engine.
Since Almquist and Anchel were neither willing nor able to put up the substantial amount of capital needed to market the new linkage, Hurst and Campbell obtained a $20,000 loan and established their own company, Hurst-Campbell, Inc., in Warminster, Pennsylvania. It opened for business in 1959.
The hot-rodding and drag racing scene was booming in the late fifties and early sixties and Hurst-Campbell found a ready market for their shifters and shift linkages. Whatever Hurst’s mechanical abilities, his greatest talent was concocting stunts and gimmicks to market Hurst-Campbell products. Hurst sponsored drag racers; offered new cars as prizes for race winners who used Hurst products; and hired a buxom beauty queen named Linda Vaughn as “Miss Hurst Golden Shifter,” paying her to attend racing events in her gold bikini, suggestively caressing giant replicas of Hurst’s signature product. Some of Hurst’s promotional stunts were undeniably effective.
By the mid-sixties, Hurst-Campbell revenues were more than $20 million a year and Hurst shifters had become almost de rigueur among serious enthusiasts.
He was the co-founder of the Hurst Performance Product Co. and was associated with high-performance vehicles and automotive advances, particularly in the area of car transmissions. His Hurst Shifter, a floor-mounted gear shift for performance cars, made him a wealthy man.
Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have an idea how effing rare it is that anyone gives a shit about employees, much less hires anyone with any disability? Damn, this is incredible info, and I've never heard about it either. This seriously sheds light on why Linda has said so many good things about George. She never mentioned this though. Wow... sending a guy work, at his home, so he can keep a job? That's incredible!
The company has since been sold several times, said Chuck Lamerel of American Bristol Co., seller of the jaws of life. The jaws of life tool was originally developed by Hurst in the 1960s to rescue drivers in crashes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then adopted by rescue agencies throughout the country, Lamerel said.
George Hurst wrote a self help book that was published in 1984, "The Perfect You", there are maybe 5 copies for sale online, all for 75 to 125
In March 1984 Popular Mechanics did a paragraph about the transmission George was working out problems with... the problem was that the damn thing wouldn't work yet. Doubtless, it was about a whisker off from being the next must have for racers, like, a Lenco. Keep in mind, the Hurst Lightning Rod shifters... Hurst knew transmissions!
Tragic as his rise and fall are, as far from normal as either gets, he's getting hero status from me for the Jaws of Life invention. That's fair. No less should anyone expect, no more should anyone ask
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-05-19-me-5971-story.html
https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/hurst-olds-history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurst_Performance
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/george-hurst
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/hurst-performance-shifters-marketing/
https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/hurst-olds-history/
https://bangshift.com/general-news/gearhead-guys-you-should-know/























