James Alvin C. York, 23, laborer, rescued Harry C. Cramer, 32, truck driver, from burning, Los Angeles, California, April 19, 1950. In a collision, a tank-truck in which Cramer and another man were riding overturned twice and came to rest upright, the two men being thrown from it and its cargo tank dropping to the street. Cramer lay unconscious at one of the front wheels, a leg of his trousers pinned beneath the wheel, and the other man was unconscious near the front of the truck. The cargo tank contained 1,000 gallons of gasoline and oil. Gasoline escaping from the tank was ignited, and flames spread to the cab and hood of the truck and rose 20 feet above the tank. Dense flames in the street extended 25 feet from the side of the truck opposite Cramer. Several men tried to reach Cramer and his companion but were driven back by the heat, which was intense. York ran 45 feet from a sidewalk to Cramer and took hold of him under the armpits, crouching to avoid flames that projected from the truck. York sustained burns on his hands and arms from the heat. With difficulty he freed Cramer and dragged him 35 feet to safety. Other men dragged Cramer’s companion, who was clear of the flames, to the sidewalk, but he succumbed to injuries. Cramer revived. He was severely burned but recovered. York suffered second- and third-degree burns on his hands and arms which healed in four weeks. 3664-41980
41980 – 3664
41980-3664