Comanche Trail Council

Several Scouts in the Comanche Trail Council have been noted for saving lives.  Here are the ones that are known. The “Boy Scout News,” September 7, 1938, Brownwood Bulletin, reported this story.

“Max Touchon, Jr., member of Troop 36, San Saba, arrived home from a fishing trip on the Colorado, several minutes after having seeming lifeless body of his little sister, Mary Touchon, had been found floating on the water of a creek near their home.  Parents and friends at the scene at the time had been unable to resuscitate the child.  In his Scout work Max had learned to administer artificial respiration, and within a short time was able to bring the child back to life by this method.”

Another story appeared in the same paper on March 12, 1940.

“Scout D. Locker Munsell of Troop 34, Richland Springs, rescued Mr. Lane from his burning home early Monday morning, according to reports from Scoutmaster C. L. Burns of Richland Springs.  Scout Munsell was one of about 25 school pupils being brought into town in the school bus.  As the bus neared the Lane home, which is several miles from town, the driver and pupils noticed that the house was in flames.  It was known that Mr. Lane is almost blind, therefore, could not find his way from the house.   Scout Munsell rushed to the house and succeeded in bringing Mr. Lane into the yard, after having drug him part of the way.  Due to the quick work of the youth, the man was not seriously burned.”

Rob Arnot, a Star Scout, age 12, received The Medal of Merit from the National Court of Honor for stopping the bleeding on Jeff Davis Sandefer.  Jeff was celebrating his eight birthday at a party at an apartment house swimming pool in Abilene, Texas, on July 16, 1968, when he fell and struck his head on the side of the pool.  He was knocked unconscious and tumbled into 8-foot-deep water.  Arnot immediately dived in and brought him out.  He then applied pressure to stop the bleeding from the head wound until a rescue squad arrived.  A physician who treated Jeff said there was no doubt that Rob’s quick action had saved the younger boy’s life.

Robert Barbee, a Scout of Breckenridge, on June 27, 1987, saved the life of Carole Brady while his band was swimming at Ingram Dam.  She had lost her inner tube and cut herself on the dam.  When she came up, she yelled for help.  Her husband went to get her with another inner tube, but in her panic, she hit it and away it went.

Robert also came out and approached her and put his arm around her neck and pulled her to safety.  He received the Honor Medal from the National Court of Honor.

Danny White, Jr., a Cub Scout in Pack 27, was presented an award by the Lake Brownwood Lion Club in June 1989 citing him for bravery and courage in his actions in pulling a young child to safety after the child had slipped from an inner tube while swimming in Lake Brownwood.

Thomas Lee Johnson, a Scout in Troop 18 of Stephenville, was presented a National Certificate of Merit from the National Court of Honor, in 1991, for saving the life of his grandfather, J. L. Herring, who was choking on some food.  He had learned how to handle a choking person while taking the First Aid Merit badge at Camp Billy Gibbons.

David A. Sweeney, received a Certificate of Merit from the Comanche Trail Council on February 12, 1994, in recognition of meritorious action in helping to save a life.  Sweeney had cut off the top part of his thumb on the paper cutter at school.  His mother came and picked him up to take him to the hospital when she had to pull over to the side of the road to take off her seatbelt to get air.

She fainted without putting the car into park.  Her foot hit the gas pedal and they shot across the road.  Unable to get his mother’s foot off the gas pedal or his foot on the brake he just grabbed the wheel and drove the car  He missed another vehicle, went into a yard, then back on the road.  He managed to miss some six vehicles, a tree and a telephone pole.
He finally was able to knock his mother’s foot off the gas pedal and apply the brakes while he was bleeding profusely from his thumb.   His mother came to after the car stopped, and someone else drove them to the hospital where he received a tetanus shot and had his thumb bandaged.  He was a member of Troop 39 of Stephenville.

Dale Germany, Jr. was commended on June 26, 1996, when he noticed that his mother, Johanna Germany, a cancer patient, was bleeding from her arm where a special I.V. catheter was located.  He alerted her to the bleeding and they went immediately to the hospital.  If Dale had not noticed the bleeding, his mother may have lost a significant amount of blood or the catheter may have become infected.