Donal A. Wallace, 20, automotive parts clerk, saved Susan G. Goss, 10, from being killed by a train, Multnomah Falls, Oregon, February 19, 1950. At dusk Susan strayed from her grandfather and ran onto a track on which a train was approaching at a speed of 60 m.p.h. Wallace stepped onto the track and sprinted 25 feet toward the train to Susan, arriving when the train was within 200 feet of them. He grasped Susan by the arm, but she resisted and jerked backward. Wallace slipped and almost lost his footing on the ballast but retained his hold on Susan. Stepping over the rail, Wallace grasped the railing of a retaining wall and pulled Susan from the track, barely clearing the train. With a clearance of 18 inches Wallace held her against the railing as the train passed at undiminished speed.
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Obituary
Carnegie Hero Donal A. Wallace, 93, died Saturday December 9, 2023 in Happy Valley, Oregon surrounded by his family.
Wallace was born May 25, 1930 in Sonora, California to Arthur and Alta wallace. His early childhood was spent in Oakland and Richmond, California. His family moved to Oregon when Don was 15 years of age.
At the age of 20, Wallace earned the Carnegie Hero medal for saving a little girl’s life from an oncoming train at Multnomah Falls in Oregon. The young girl had strayed from her grandfather and basically froze on the tracks as the speeding locomotive was approaching. As he grabbed her arm, the girl resisted and Wallace lost his footing. He regained a foothold just in time to pull the both of them up against railing of a retaining wall as the speeding train passed inches from his face. This heroic act also earned him an award of “Citizen of the week” from the famous columnist, author and television personality, Jimmy Fidler. A man of many jobs, from auto parts clerk to truck driver, he eventually became a successful upholsterer and ran his own vocational trade school, Portland Upholstering School for over 30 years. He was very proud that many of his students were from the Veterans Department and State Rehabilitation Services, where he helped numerous individuals over the years overcome their own hardships to become successful in the upholstery trade. This is where he met the love of his life, Rosalie, after hiring her as the business secretary. They were married in August of 1965 and had their only son, Jeff. Don loved to play the steel guitar and had a fondness for country music. He loved to travel to the desert and enjoyed camping, hiking and biking with his family. One would be hard pressed to find a more generous and caring man with such a positive outlook on life.
Don is survived by his loving wife, Rosalie, of 58 years. He is also survived by his son Jeff, his daughter in law Candy and two grandchildren, Ellie and Ethan, who were the joys of his life.