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Hidden Hero
Vietnam veteran remains modest about saving lives
By THOMAS MICHALSKI
Article published on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006
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![[Image]](/content_images/112906_smb-01.jpg) |
| Photo by THOMAS MICHALSKI |
| Robert J. Pass today works at home in Seminole. Few people know of the heroic deeds he has performed. He won the Silver Star for his actions as an Army helicopter gunner in Vietnam. |
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SEMINOLE – Robert J. Pass is a soft-spoken man who spends a lot of his time these days dealing with commodities.
He’s also a hero who once pulled a woman out of a burning car moments before it exploded into a huge fireball.
As a St. Louis, Mo., firefighter, he was assigned to high-crime areas where heroics are as natural as the occasional gunshots he ducked.
He also won the Silver Star for his heroic actions as an Army helicopter gunner in Vietnam.
Pass, 64, who lives with his wife, Barbara, in a house on 93rd Avenue, was born in Missouri. One of five children, he wanted to help people and joined the police department.
“I wasn’t cut out to be a cop,” he said, “so I left for the fire department.”
Pass, who was assigned to a firehouse, was drafted into the Army.
In Vietnam he was flying in a helicopter as a gunner when the aircraft was shot down.
He doesn’t like to talk about the circumstances that led to his earning the Silver Star.
“Let’s just say I had to kill a lot of people,” Pass said.
Vietnam, he says, is a place he can’t forget because of his war experiences.
He returned home and to the fire department at an active station. He lost count on the amount of major fires he fought.
“I had a side job doing lawn maintenance,” Pass said. “I was working on a condominium project and left early because of rain.”
Pass was driving home when he came across a horrendous accident that involved two tractor trailers and a car. One crashed into the rear of the car and a second skidded from the other direction and also struck the car.
Inside was a woman and her daughter.
One rig carried sheet metal. A fire, sparked by leaking gas, caused the other truck’s tire to explode. The weight of the heavy sheet metal shifted toward the car.
Pass ran to the burning wreck and tried to pull open the door that was smashed in. He convinced a tow-truck driver to use his vehicle and line to pull it open.
Despite the fire from the dripping gasoline, Pass grabbed for the little girl who, it turned out, was dead due to severe head injuries. He dove back into the burning car and pulled out the screaming woman.
“I remember telling her to trust me,” Pass said. “I told her to put her arms around my neck so I could drag her out.”
The woman, in her distress, mistakenly thought another child was in the car. Pass dove in a third time and found it empty. Seconds after he escaped the vehicle, it exploded. Tons of steel tumbled down upon it.
“My daughter at the time was the dead little girl’s age so it really hit home,” Pass said.
For his heroism Pass received a number of commendations.
“I didn’t think when it happened,” Pass said. “I acted on instinct and adrenaline.”
During his long career he has been shot at, has seen babies pulled out of dumpsters and has watched his city burned by looters. His late brother, Theodore, also was a firefighter.
His adult children did not pursue public service careers. One, Robert Jr., is financial manager at Disney World in Orlando. A daughter, Rebecca, is in Washington, D.C., working with Vietnam veterans for the Veterans Administration.
“Too many people believe that firefighters do nothing between fires,” Pass said. “Idle firefighters are a good thing because that means nothing bad is happening.”
Pass has a lot of respect for today’s firefighters and police officers.
“They see the worst of humanity,” he said. “There are still things I can’t forget.”
Maybe your hero is exceptional in a quieter way. There are so many amazing people in our midst. Help us share their stories by nominating a Hidden Hero. Call us at 397-5563, or e-mail us at editorial@TBNweekly.com.
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Article published on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
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Tampa Bay Newspapers
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