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Arland D. Williams Jr. Elementary SchoolArland D. Williams Jr. Elementary School is located in the city of Matton in Coles County, Illinois. The new school in Mattoon Community School District #2 was dedicated to the memory of Arland D. Williams Jr. (1935-1982) when it was opened in August, 2003. Hometown of an extraordinary hero Mattoon was the hometown of Williams, a 1957 graduate of The Citadel, South Carolina's Military College. Mr. Williams was a 46-year old bank examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, Georgia. On January 13, 1982, he was one of only six survivors when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the ice-covered Potomac River in Washington, DC. In near blizzard weather conditions, rescue responders were greatly hampered. Ambulances drove down the sidewalk in front of the White House attempting to get past stalled traffic. News cameramen watched helplessly, being only able to record the disaster for the rest of the world to see. After about 20 minutes in the icy water, suddenly hope arrived for the survivors in the form of a park police helicopter, trailing a lifeline reaching to the outstretched arms of the victims in the water below. As the small group clung to the tail section of the wrecked Boeing 737-222 jet aircraft, the only portion afloat, Mr. Williams repeatedly passed the line to the others, all of whom were rescued. Before the helicopter crew could get back for him, the tail shifted and sank, drowning him. His heroism was not rash. Aware that his own strength was fading, he deliberately handed hope to someone else, and he did so repeatedly. On that cold and tragic day, Arland D. Williams Jr. exemplified one of the best attributes of human nature, specifically that some people are capable of doing "anything" for total strangers. United States President Ronald Reagan presented the United States Coast Guard's Gold Lifesaving Medal to him posthumously. An important bridge was renamed for him, and The Citadel established several memorials. See Also External Links
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