Indonesia - Ohio Man, 35, Sacrifices His Life to Save a Drowning Child

Loop1 · #1 ● 03-16-2020, 04:40 AM

On March 5, 2017, a 35-year-old Ohio man named T.A. who survived explosions during combat in the Middle East died doing missionary work in Indonesia while saving the life of a young boy.

T.A. grew up in Warren, Ohio and people who knew him said he loved living life and joking around.

His brother L.A. described him as “very humble, very caring, and loving.”

The brothers had already seen both of their parents pass away. With that, the last of L.A.’s immediate family was gone.

“He was more than my brother,” L.A. said. “He was my best friend.”

T.A. worked as a combat engineer during his nine years in the U.S. Army. He was skilled at using explosives to clear paths for U.S. troops and their allies while on tours in Afghanistan and in Iraq. He also defused unexploded ordinances.

Pastor R.M. of the Grace Fellowship Church in Niles - the church T.A. attended - said T.A. carried some guilt for killing people in the line of service.

“He said, ‘You know, I want to spend the rest of my life not carrying bullets to other parts of the world, but I want to carry the word of God and live out my life serving Christ this way.'”

In January 2017, T.A., a student at Liberty University, signed on to be a missionary intern through the Grace Fellowship Church.

That’s what placed him in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 5, 2017.

T.A. was with a group of several adults and children at a popular beach located across from a shopping mall when they saw a rip current.

“T.A. and other adults ran to the water, pulling the children out,” said Pastor R.M. “Being a big strong former military man, T.A. went further out to make sure no one got past him.”

The group had gotten the majority of the kids out of the water when T.A. saw J.P, 6, a son of one of the missionaries, still in the water. He waded out to pick up the child.

“He placed J.P. high on his shoulders to make sure the tide would not pull him under water,” said his brother L.A. “When a fellow global studies student grabbed J.P. from T.A.’s shoulders, they did not see my brother again. He already was pulled under and was gone.”

“J.P. still had T.A.’s hat in his hand,” Pastor R.M. said. “He had put him up on his shoulders to keep him from going under and I mean, literally, just gave his life to make sure that little boy had a life to go to.”

“I believe he sacrificed himself so he could save J.P,” said his brother L.A. “He died as he lived, bringing people to Christ.”

On March 30, 2017, Liberty University awarded T.A. a posthumous Bachelor of Science degree in global studies.

“T.A. worked very hard to complete his degree, and it was decided to honor him with this distinction based on his academic achievements,” said Liberty University.

On May 2, 2017, the Ohio Senate passed Resolution 136 honoring T.A.’s selfless sacrifice.

The resolution read in part:

T.A.’s concern for forging a better society was clearly evident in the admirable way that he lived life, and the loss of potential contained within him will be remembered by all those who were time and again witness to his selfless initiatives. To lose the precious life of a loved one is a painful experience, and it is our sincere hope that the memory of the immeasurable contributions he made to his family, his community, his country, and his world will be a source of comfort to those who cherished him.

We, the members of the Senate of the 132nd General Assembly of Ohio, in adopting this Resolution, honor the life of a genuinely dedicated public servant and salute the legacy of an exemplary man, T.A.

TL;DR: 35-year-old American veteran from Warren, Ohio doing missionary work in Jakarta, Indonesia drowned while saving the life of a child.