“To me it just felt like the right thing to do, because people were there and needed my help. I just did not want to walk away and leave them…”
These are the words of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards British soldier Ross Woodward who happened to be at the right place at the right time to do the right thing in the midst of utter chaos and tragedy.
On 1 October 2017, carnage fell upon the Las Vegas, Nevada, gathering known as the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. The annual event which welcomed approximately 22,000 visitors in 2017 alone was rudely awakened by suspect Stephen Paddock who open fire from a high floor of a nearby hotel, killing 58 innocent people and leaving hundreds injured. The events of this horrible incident became a record in the United States as the deadliest mass shooting to date.
Despite the massive amount of controversy in every realm regarding the need for measures to reduce such violence, the undeniable selfless sacrifice of many who rushed to the aid of the hurting during those tragic hours cannot go unnoticed.
Among the people responsible for rescue effort on that terrible day was British soldier Ross Woodward of Beeston, Nottinghamshire. The twenty-four-year-old father of one from The Queen’s Dragoon Guards has been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen for his great acts of bravery on that fateful day.
The Queen’s Commendation for Bravery has been awarded to the trooper in light of his choice to be one of the people on the front lines, issuing selfless aid and comfort to the wounded, including a man whose back injuries left him helpless but not hopeless thanks to Woodward’s care.
His award states, “He consciously, deliberately and repeatedly advanced towards danger, moving people to safety and treating casualties.”
Woodward has also spoken of his choice to serve, saying, “If I ever need help, I hope and pray that someone would help me.”
