Sgt. 1st Class Levon Fernandez was at work at Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras when a Honduran Air Force plane crashed into a nearby building, taking out high-voltage power lines and a telephone pole.
Fernandez rushed to the scene and pulled two airmen from the dangerous wreckage, saving their lives in the process.
For his actions on that day, Aug. 16, 2017, Fernandez was awarded the Soldier’s Medal, the Army’s highest peacetime award for valor.
Fernandez, a flight paramedic with Joint Task Force-Bravo’s 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, received the medal in a ceremony at Soto Cano Air Base, according to U.S. Southern Command.
Fernandez was on duty Aug. 16 when a Honduran Air Force L410 on a training flight crashed, hitting the 1-228 Headquarters building, according to SOUTHCOM. The plane hit less than 100 yards from where Fernandez was working.
Immediately after the crash, Fernandez ran to the site to direct base personnel away from the dangerous combination of disconnected power lines and fuel.
Making his way through the chaos, Fernandez reached the aircraft and tried to free the three men trapped inside the wreckage, according to SOUTHCOM.
He was able to reach the flight engineer and bring him to another flight paramedic for medical care.
Fernandez returned to the wreckage and pulled one more airman from the cockpit.
A third airman died from his wounds in the crashed plane.
Fernandez downplayed his actions, adding that other personnel and local first responders were also involved in the rescue.
“It’s bittersweet because I wasn’t the only guy there. There were plenty of guys there who were taking just as much risk as I was,” Fernandez said, according to SOUTHCOM. “I definitely don’t consider myself a hero. This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the rest of Charlie Company and the rest of the 228 guys who were out there, also putting their lives in jeopardy to try to save a life.”
Noah Nash is a rising senior at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. At school, he is the editor in chief of the Collegian Magazine and the digital director of the Collegian, Kenyon's newspaper.
