Armed Forces News

A Marine Corps air traffic controller was honored by his peers during a Sept. 21 ceremony for saving the life of a civilian while on vacation. Cpl. Diego Marmalejo, who is attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his quick and effective response while on vacation in Bali in July.
Shortly before he and a comrade were to return to their base, he witnessed a traffic accident and determined that two of the persons involved were injured and in need of assistance. A female passenger was bleeding from her leg and screaming, while her male companion was unresponsive. He made a tourniquet out of his shirt and tied it above the woman’s leg, propped up the man’s head, and remained at the site overnight until the two could receive the medical treatment they needed. He then visited the two victims in the hospital the next day, to check on their condition.
The ceremony took place at Iwakuni.