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The American Red Cross Mount Rainier
Chapter is proud to announce the inaugural Marvin Klegman Memorial Award.
In honor of the 10th
anniversary of the Real Heroes Breakfast, the American Red Cross has dedicated a new life-saving and preparedness award in the name of a
Tacoma hero,
Marvin Klegman.
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Marvin Klegman statue in front
of
Lowell Elementary School, Tacoma.
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It is not often that someone risks
their own life to save that of another person; and it is rarer still
to see such heroism and courage displayed by a young child. Marvin Klegman was only 11 years old when, in 1949, he made the
ultimate sacrifice—he lay down his own life to save the life of a 6
year-old schoolmate at Lowell
Elementary School
in Tacoma.
It was just before the noon
lunch hour and school crossing guard
Marvin Klegman had just put on his patrol boy vest. Only 11 years old, Marvin was already a
lifesaver—he was trained for, prepared for and ready to assure the
safety of his fellow students as they crossed busy streets in nearby
crosswalks.
He had just stepped out of the brick school building when the earth
below Marvin began to rumble and roll. Without a hesitation, Marvin
turned and ran back into the wobbly brick building. Kelcy Robert Allen, then six years old, remembers Marvin grabbing his
hand, shouting to others, “We’ve got to get out,” and leading
the scared students to what should have been safety outside the school
building.
As Marvin and Kelcy exited the school, a brick dormer broke loose from
the school’s second story. Seeing what was about to happen, Marvin
sheltered the younger child from the falling bricks of the dormer. Kelcy remembers Marvin “stretching out
his arms into a dive” and throwing himself over the smaller student.
Kelcy’s body was shielded from the barrage of bricks from the
crumbling dormer; but Marvin’s young body was not—he died
instantly. Kelcy awoke a short time later in an ambulance. It was
April 13, 1949
and
Marvin Klegman had just saved Kelcy Robert Allen’s life.
The Puget Sound Earthquake of 1949 remains
the largest recorded quake in our area’s history. With this award,
Marvin Klegman will take his place in Red Cross history and be forever
remembered as a larger-than-life hero and a shining example of the compassion and courage that result from being trained for,
prepared for and willing to fulfill the lifesaving mission of the
American Red Cross.
It is our hope that every Pierce County
resident will remember the heroic sacrifice of 11 year-old, Marvin
Klegman, and prepare themselves and their neighbors for the unexpected
by getting trained, making a plan, building a disaster kit, and
volunteering with the American Red Cross.
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