[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 41 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S2670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       AWARDING OF SOLDIERS MEDAL TO DONALD S. ``STEVE'' WORKMAN

  Mr. HELMS. Madam President, on April 26, U.S. Army Sergeant First 
Class Donald S. ``Steve'' Workman will be awarded the Soldiers Medal 
for his courageous actions at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The 
Soldiers Medal is awarded to members of the U.S. Army who distinguish 
themselves by heroic acts that do not directly involve actual conflict 
with the enemy.
  When you hear Steve's story, I am confident that you will agree that 
his selfless actions indeed merit this award.
  As all of us vividly remember, a hijacked plane crashed into the 
Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. Instead of leaving the 
Pentagon, Steve risked his life by reentering the building to help 
other survivors. He struggled through intense fires, sparking 
electrical wires, and pools of jet fuel and eventually came upon Navy 
Lieutenant Kevin Shaeffer, who had been blown to the floor--by a 
gigantic fireball--from his desk in the Navy Command Center.
  After finding Kevin, Steve guided him through flames and dense smoke 
to one of the infirmaries inside the Pentagon. When they reached the 
infirmary, Steve realized Kevin was going into shock so he immediately 
elevated Kevin's legs using a trash can, loosened his belt, and gave 
him small drops of water. After helping a nurse administer an IV and 
painkiller, Steve grabbed a small tank of oxygen and led Kevin outside 
to wait for an ambulance.
  Once ambulances began arriving, Steve helped place Kevin in one of 
them and they rode together to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. En 
route, the ambulance's oxygen tank ran empty so the small oxygen tank 
Steve took from the Pentagon infirmary was a godsend. Kevin recalls 
that the two men talked during the trip and he remembers giving Steve 
his wife's name, Bianca--also a Navy Lieutenant--and phone number.
  When the ambulance arrived at Walter Reed, Steve turned Kevin over to 
the medical personnel and helped the hospital staff contact Bianca. He 
then returned to the Pentagon to help anyone else needing it.
  Kevin later learned that he had suffered second and third-degree 
burns over 41 percent of his body. During his three month stay at 
Walter Reed, Kevin and Steve, and their families, stayed in close 
contact with each other and have developed a strong relationship. Kevin 
and Bianca have stated that they consider Steve to be a member of their 
family.
  SFC Steve Workman is a brave, courageous soldier whose actions helped 
save the life of a fellow servicemen. He is a true hero.

                          ____________________