By Vicky Falcón
NAVAIR Public Affairs

A series of unusual circumstances led to unusual heroism last summer, and that heroism has led to a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for Col. Frantz DeWillis, the Air Force Deputy Program Manager at the V-22 Joint Program Office in the Naval Air Systems Command.

Rear Adm. Steven L. Enewold, program executive officer, PEO(A), presented the medal to DeWillis earlier this month, saying his "personal initiative, quick thinking, and unswerving devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service."

"It was unusual for me to work that late," said DeWillis, explaining that his normal "late night" ends around 8:00 p.m. That night he left work well after midnight.

While driving toward his home near Leonardtown, DeWillis noticed a wrecked motorcycle on the side of the road. He stopped, and upon investigation, found and immediately began attending to the injured rider - not the usual response of most motorists.

"He was conscious the whole time," said DeWillis, who discovered the injured man had a severe, life-threatening profusely bleeding injury to his left leg. While keeping the injured man calm, DeWillis applied pressure to the man's artery and used his cell phone to call for help.

"Fortunately, my cell phone worked," he said, adding, "It usually doesn't work in that area."

Though help was on the way, the tremendous loss of blood from the man's leg led DeWillis to make a tourniquet using his waist-belt. He then stayed with the man until help arrived.

"I don't really feel like a hero," DeWillis said. "You do what anyone would do and try to help someone in a tough spot."

His humble response is not unusual among true heroes.

Photo by Vicky Falcón - for a higher resolution photo, call 301-757-5116
Caption: Col. Frantz DeWillis demonstrates how he used his waist belt to save a man's life last summer. That heroic act led to a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for DeWillis.