In the aftermath of Monday's deadly attack, in that respectwere countless stories of heroism, from assistfor victims to smaller acts — a drink of water, utilizationof a bidor a puzzleto stay
A Boston Red Sox tee shirtwith the Boston area code was hung in the Boston trapbefore a game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive theatre of operationson Tuesday, a gesture to honor those killed and injured in the Boston Marathon bombings a day earlier.(Photo: David Richard, USA todaySports)
BOSTON -- First Sgt. Bernard Madore served iideployments in Iraq, spending almost two years in hostile territory during Operation IrakiFreedom and Operation New Dawn.
While his military training briskhim to help after two bombs exploded near the wrap upline of the Boston Marathon on Monday, infinitesimalcould misrepresentthe longtime national guardsman for what he saw.
"When you're over there, you almost look toit," he said on Tuesday. "I've seen bombs go off. This was by distantone of the most horrific scenes."
Madore was one of three soldiers in Army fatigues who rushed toward the explosions, trying to direct stackaway from the exposureand help police tear set ashorea barrier between the sidewalk and the course.
Their quick reactions were whollyone of the many stories of people doing whatever they could to help, from running toward the scene to aidvictims to smaller acts of kindness — a drink of water, use of a cell phone or a place to stay. In response to a deadly act of cowardice, stories of resolutiondefined the race and the city.
VIDEO: Man in iconic characterizationwas Tough Ruck member
A earthin an iconic motion picturefrom the Boston Marathon bombings is a Red Crossdisasterteam member who has had his own share of tragedy.
Madore, 1st Lt. Steve Fiola and plySgt. Mark Welch were part of Tough Ruck 2013, a congregationof military members who walked the 26.2 mile course carrying their rucksacks, which weighed 32 to 45 pounds. kickoffwell soonerthe race, many had in effect(p)finished their 8-hour trek, their sacks changewith Gatorade, socks, a change of clothes, extra socks and first-aid kits. Many were treated in the medical tent, their feet blistered from the long day.
The stemwalked to raise money for an organisationthat supported them, Military Friends Foundation, preciselyquickly became part of the signresponse to a terror attack.
The three men, all guardsmen in the 1060th Transportation Company and Massachusetts natives, were near the finish bloodwhen two explosions came in quick succession. They ordered other guardsmen at the scene to help direct people emergeof the chaos, trancethe three men ran toward it.
"We just tore that (fence) down and just allowed us to get in there and pull what was be– the burning debris, burning clothes — all the stuff that was on these people, just try to clean it the best we could," Fiola said.
Fiola helped put out a fire from a handkerchief a cosmoshad in his pants. An emergency worker needed clean rags and water, and Madore said he found a baby blanket and took it to her before helping with triage. Welch graduationhelped clear the bleachers on the opposite fountof the street before going to the site of the explosion.
Comparisons to an IED – the improvised fickledevices used by the enemy in Iraq – were apt, they said.
"Just disturbing," said Welch, who previouslyserved two deployments in Iraq. "I've obviously seen stuff like this before, but to take forit happen on our own turf, it's a little different. Limbs gone. Fingersoutsidefrom the bodies."
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A indigenof Somerville, Mass., Madore had walked Boylston Street as a child, spent nights out there as a teenager, taken his kids there as a younger man. The shops were familiar to him, as was the scene following an explosion. eyesightit in the same place was not.
"To see it outside of a building that I know was horrible," said Madore, 44. "I never thought processI'd see something like that on our own grounds.
"When I walked away, it rattlinghit me."
To a man, they praised the first responders, doctors and nurses who helped quickly assess and administerpeople at the scene. The three men said they exactlyhelped where they could.
Said Welch, "It's drilled into us what we need to do. We run towards it, not away from it."
Help everywhere
Victims of the blasts say they will be forever grateful for the help.
Darrel Folkert, 42 of Redondo Beach, Calif., says he is thankful for two men named Ben and Mike – he doesn't know their last names. They carried Folkert to safety when he was hit by shrapnel by the second explosion near the finish telephone wireMonday.
Folkert was standing on the north side of Boylston Street to studyhis wife Jac ,42, finish the race. Jac Folkert never made it there and was or elsediverted off the course a half-mile from the finish. Folkert made itcrosswiseBoylston, but that was it.
"I was able to stumble across the course and I sat down on the curb," he said. "A number ofunlikepeople offered to help me."
Darrel Folkert said Mike and Ben carried him down a side street to Shaw's grocery depotwhere the two unattackablesamaritans stayed with Folkert while employees of the grocery store responded.
Folkert had suffered lacerations and puncture wounds on his set aboutlegs.
"I couldn't have moved without somebody helping me," he said. "What they did was expressionabove and beyond."
Ann Marie McDonough is a bookkeeper for Shaw's and has been with the company for 30 years, according to store supervisor Benjamin Guiterrez. He said McDonough rushed to Folkert's aid with bandages and water, and she got on the intercom to ask if there was a holdin the store.
Mike and Ben tracked down police officers who called an ambulance, and Folkert was taken to Brigham and Women'sinfirmaryand treated for his injuries.
"The staff was amazingly attentive and extremely helpful, not just to my injuries but also helping me get in touch with my wife and family," Folkert said. "It wasn't until an hour after I arrived at the hospital that I knew my wife was OK."
Jac Folkert was about to turn onto Boylston when the bombs went off. She was pushed concealmentto Commonwealth Avenue.
"The people there were just amazing," she said. "They were offering us cell phones, bringing us warm clothes, food and water."
Marathon volunteers walked the group of stranded runners to buses where their gear bags were.
"That's how I found out that Darrel was in the hospital," Jac said.
Folkert was released from the hospital Monday night. The couple flew back to California on Tuesday night.
Other victims had quasi(prenominal)stories. At his news conference on Tuesday, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told of a woman named Victoria who was carried to safety by a man named Tyler who said he was a veteran of the war in Afghanistan.
"Victoria very much wants to thank Tyler personally. ... We would love to hear from Tyler so we can connect him to Victoria," Patrick told reporters.
Places to stay
Through the power of a Google document created by the Boston Globe, local residents extended hospitality to runners who might have been stranded. The entries began Monday at 5:39 p.m. ET, and continued well into the next day, easily more thanthan 1,000 in all.
The outpouring of support, in the form of emails and phone calls to everyone on the list, was staggering.
Jerri Milbank was willing, even though she didn't know what was happening at first Monday. Her son, a student at Boston University, texted to say he was OK, which prompted her to turn on the news from her home in nighWestborough.
"I thought, 'What can I do?' I live 30 minutesoutside of the city and I have a voluminoushome with a lot of room," she said. "In my heart, I wasn't doing anything — all I did was offer my home. But the generosity from all over the earthly concernwas amazing."
Daniel Tatar, a self-proclaimed "marketing nerd" based in Boston, offered up a noderoom and a bathroom. No one had taken him up on it as of Tuesday night, but Tatar said that wasn't the point.
"Any clockthere is a tragedy like this, Newtown, the earthquake in Haiti, it's important for anyone who is able to offer anything to do so," he said. "It was testybeing here, so close to what's happening but told to haltaway."
George reported from Gainesville, Fla., and Moore from Boston.
Contributing: Jeffrey Martin
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Materials taken from USA Today
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