MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- On Nov. 14, 2002, along Interstate 11 in South Korea, a commercial truck driven by a Korean national caught fire, leaving the driver in dire need of emergency assistance.
Luckily for the distraught driver of the truck, Cpl. Byung Lee, Marine Aircraft Group 12 Ground Supply warehouse clerk, and Capt. William Shannon, MAG-12 Ground Supply officer-in-charge, were en route to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, when they identified the situation.
Being fluent in the Korean language, Lee assessed the situation as he calmed the driver. Lee then ordered the man to call the police.
As the flames grew higher, Lee took matters into his own hands. Climbing aboard the burning truck, Lee began removing the truck's boxed cargo as quickly as possible to keep the blaze from gaining any more fuel and causing bodily harm to onlookers.
Still awaiting the arrival of fire trucks, Lee took charge, coordinating with a group of on looking Korean motorists to dampen the ensuing flames.
"A few Korean nationals had stopped to help, but they seemed overwhelmed by the situation," noted Lee. "I waved them over to help me carry some sand bags from a nearby pile."
Using the wet sand from the bags, Lee was able to keep the truck's fuel tanks from igniting as the inferno crept towards the front end of the truck.
"I knew that if the blaze spread to the trucks fuel tanks we'd all be in trouble," said Lee.
In the midst of the chaos, emergency personnel arrived on the scene. Lee once again utilized his bilingual skills to bring police and fire fighters up to speed on the escalating situation.
He then assisted even further by manning fire fighting equipment and working alongside the local fire crew to save what they could of the torched truck.
"During the entire ordeal Corporal Lee was invaluable," said Shannon. "Using his communication skills to bridge the language barrier, he selflessly risked his life to get the situation under control."
Shannon also helped in the effort to extinguish the fire and witnessed firsthand Lee's strength as a leader and a Marine. Being Lee's officer-in-charge, Shannon is now in the process of submitting paperwork so that Lee may receive the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his exemplary actions.
"If nothing else, I hope the people that we were able to help will think of the Corps in a good light," said Lee. "As Marines we are taught to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons, and that's what we did."