75 years ago, a Cub Scout found himself in extraordinary circumstances. An afternoon’s activity became a life and death struggle for him and a friend.
Pictured at left is 10-year-old Cub Scout Parker Edward Stratt reading a comic book to his 9-year-old friend, Gerry Susan Gustafson, who he saved from an alligator attack on September 16, 1951.
Parker and Gerry were catching minnows in a rock pit near Coral Gables, Florida. Suddenly, an alligator burst through the surface of the water, clamped its jaws onto Gustafson and began to pull the girl into the pit. Parker tried to grab Gerry by the hair and arm, but only could hold on briefly for fear that the alligator, which now was spinning in the water, would rip off the girl’s arm. It pulled Gerry underwater multiple times but Parker managed to pull her back to the surface. Then, as it flipped on its back, the gator momentarily lost its grip on the girl and Parker made his move. Hooking his feet in an exposed root, he stretched out into the water, grabbed the girl under each arm and pulled her out – just as the alligator lunged again. . . and missed. Though Gerry’s arm was broken and bleeding profusely from bites, with Parker’s help she still managed to scramble up the muddy bank – both of them knowing that if either slipped they would end up again in the creature’s jaws. But their trial wasn’t yet over. Parker managed to seat Gerry on the handlebars of his bicycle and ride her to the hospital in town. There, the doctors managed to save the girl’s arm. On June 24, 1952 in a Rose Garden ceremony, President Harry S. Truman presented his own award for bravery to Parker Stratt.
President Truman spoke these words on the occasion:
“It is a great pleasure to perform this service. As you know, one of the most pleasant things I do in this Rose Garden is to award medals for bravery and service. These medals are for bravery and service in the highest degree, and I take great pleasure as President of the United States in presenting them to these young people.“
This story is from the book “Running Towards Danger: Real Life Scouting Action Stories of Heroism, Valor & Guts”, written by Michael S Malone.
