We help each other

"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost."

— Arthur Ashe

The word "hero" usually conjures images of military conflict and natural disasters, or of a person displaying unusual bravery in the face of overwhelming danger or adversity. In these post 9-11 days, after years of drawn-out warfare, we tend to think of heroes as mythic, larger-than-life figures.

But often, the most remarkable heroism is born of humble roots and nurtured by the humblest of human traits - a desire to help someone in distress. Such was the case last week in the parking lot of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

Dec. 22 was a typical workday. Staff members here were going about their daily business when the routine was punctured by a freak accident that thrust news gatherers into the unlikely role of newsmakers. A full account of the incident appears on the front page of today's edition.

But the basics are as follows: While trying to get a stuck truck out of the snow, Labor Ready employee John Buckley lost his hand when it got entangled in a chain. The calm, quick, thorough response of Frontiersman photographer Robert DeBerry, with front line support from office staffers Laura Cox and Doris Armstrong, prevented a terrible accident from becoming a tragic, pre-Christmas fatality.

DeBerry used a belt and scarf to apply a tourniquet to the man's severed arm. He then held the arm up while Cox and Armstrong covered the man with coats and tried to comfort him while waiting for EMTs to arrive. It was later determined that the tourniquet saved the man's life.

In the aftermath of the event, the three downplayed their life-saving roles and shrugged off praise. But for Buckley and his family, they were heroes - as they would be to anyone in the same situation.

While we are proud of our staff for what they did that day, we also know the pride we feel is secondary to the joy felt by Buckley and his family. It is not every day we get to report on our own people. But this is not about blowing our own horn. It is about highlighting the capacity of ordinary people to behave in an extraordinary manner when it matters most. This is the essence of heroism.

To us, this sort of self-sacrifice is the hallmark of life in the Mat-Su Valley: We help each other.