Daring Rescue Operation: Army Cadet and Father Successfully Save Life in Upstate New York
In a heart-stopping moment on Route 9W near West Point, Larry Pickett Jr., a player for the U.S. Military Academy's football team, and his father, Larry Pickett Sr., bravely rescued a man from a burning car.
The incident occurred when a car crashed into a utility pole, sparking dangerously close wires. The vehicle was about to catch fire, and the Picketts acted swiftly to save the man, who was still buckled in his seatbelt during the rescue.
The heroic act was captured on video by Lauren Pickett, and the footage soon went viral. The driver of the car remains unidentified in the available search results.
Both Larry Pickett Jr. and Larry Pickett Sr. have been praised for their actions. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll commended Larry Pickett Jr. for embodying the highest values of the Army and West Point. The U.S. Military Academy also recognised their bravery.
Larry Pickett Jr. had played in the Academy's season opener against Tarleton State the day before the rescue. His father, Larry Pickett Sr., expressed his gratitude for his son's actions on Facebook, calling the rescue a real victory.
The West Point Cemetery, home to many distinguished historic figures, also saw a connection to this event. MG John Buford, MG George Sykes, MG Wesley Merrit, MG Ethan Allen Hitchcock, MG Robert Anderson, and Earl "Red" Blaik are among the notable military figures buried there.
The cemetery also holds the graves of recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, such as 1LT Laura Walker, Margaret Corbin, ENS Dominick Trant, and MSGT Martin Maher. LTC Edward White II, BG Egbert Viele, BG John Thompson, BG Sylvanus Thayer, LTC George Armstrong Custer, LTG Winfield Scott, LTG James Gavin, LTG Ying-Hsing Wen, GEN Lucius D. Clay, GEN Alexander "Sandy" Patch, GEN William Westmoreland, GEN Bernard Rogers, GEN Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr, and MG Daniel Butterfield are also buried there.
The rescue near West Point serves as a reminder of the courage and quick thinking that can be found in the community, echoing the spirit of those buried in the West Point Cemetery.
