931st ARG Airman honored as hero by Red Cross

  • Published
  • By Brannen Parrish
  • 931st ARG Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Danny Johnson knew he was in trouble when the riding lawn mower shut down. Johnson, who mows for a local landscaping company, was cutting a field in Rose Hill when the mower stopped moving, Aug. 26.

That day the temperature reached 100 degrees and Johnson's wheelchair was 75 yards from the spot of the fouled machine. He called his boss, who was mowing lawns in Goddard, Kansas, but the phone's ring couldn't penetrate the noise from the mower's engine.

Eight years ago, Johnson's neck was broken in a boating accident costing him the use of his legs.

Seeking refuge from the sun, Johnson climbed off the mower and crawled to a small tree. Unable to simultaneously drag the two-gallon water container and his legs from mower to shade tree, he made repeated trips across the thorny field from shade to machine.

"Every time I needed water, I had to crawl from the tree to the mower and crawl back," Johnson said. "I was getting pretty worn out."

Johnson watched as car after car passed him. He waved and yelled at the drivers, but the cars didn't stop.

"You wave at them and try to get their attention, and they just keep driving by," Johnson said. "I was wondering, 'Is someone going to stop and help me?'"

Johnson was weighing his options, wondering if he could make the 75-yard trek across the field to his wheelchair, when Tech. Sgt. Joel Janssen, a crew chief from the 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, happened to drive by and see him.

"He was lying on the ground when I showed up, and he asked if I could bring him his wheelchair," Janssen said. "I helped him load it up on the trailer and we tied it down."

Moved by Janssen's actions, Johnson arranged to visit the Airman at work. He met with Janssen and his commander, Maj. Robert Thompson, and thanked him for his assistance. 

"He stayed there and waited until I spoke to my boss," said Johnson. "He could have just brought me my wheel chair and left.  He made sure that I was in my vehicle before he even made a move toward his vehicle to leave."

For this selfless act of assistance, the Midway-Kansas Chapter of the American Red Cross named Janssen the 2011 Good Samaritan Hero by the Red Cross of Wichita. The organization will present him with the award during its 2nd Annual Heroes Breakfast, Dec. 14.

Janssen remains shy about the attention.

"I didn't think it was a big deal but he did," said Janssen. "If we can't help each other, then who can help us?"