Heroic actions earn Nellis sergeant Airman’s Medal

Dick Benoit

Thursday, May 16, 2002 | 8:55 a.m.

Heroic actions during a hotel fire nearly four years ago have earned a Nellis Air Force Base master sergeant the Airman's Medal.

Master Sgt. Ricardo Martinez was part of a team deployed to Dakar, Senegal, to evacuate Americans and other foreign nationals from conflict in neighboring Guinea-Bissau in June 1998.

When fire broke out in the hotel, Martinez ran through choking smoke and searing heat, working his way door to door, waking the guests.

After he woke his teammates, they went from room to room in the two-story hotel pounding on doors, yelling and helping people leave the building.

Martinez went back into the building repeatedly. Unable to see through the thick haze, he continued on even after the fire department arrived to fight the blaze. He did not give up until the last person was out.

"There were American Peace Corp volunteers, civilians and military in the hotel. We made sure everyone got out safely," he said. "When we tried to use the firehoses, they were rotten. When we turned on the firehose valve, there was no water, so all we could do was get people out. But luckily the local fire department was there pretty fast. The whole thing went quickly."

Martinez was one of three airmen to receive the Airman's Medal for their actions that day. "I didn't even know we were submitted for a medal," he said. "It took four years to get approved because the paperwork was slow.

"When something like this happens, you go into auto-pilot and just help out," Martinez said. "You don't even think about recognition and medals. You just do it."

In brief