Ala. guardsmen honored for aiding crash victims

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The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Aug 29, 2009 11:34:41 EDT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama National Guard soldiers who rescued passengers when a Louisiana church bus wrecked on Interstate 20 have been presented commendation medals in a ceremony at the state Capitol.

The 47 soldiers were returning to Aliceville from drill at Camp Shelby, Miss., on July 12 when the tire blew out on a 30-passenger bus in front of them.

The bus was carrying 17 teenagers and six adults from the First Baptist Church of Shreveport, La. to a church camp in Georgia.

The bus rolled over three times. The soldiers had to lift the bus so trapped victims could be freed. The soldiers are being deployed to Iraq in January and had just gone through training to learn how upright an overturned vehicle.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley on Friday presented the soldiers with Alabama Commendation Medals.

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Amanda Sowards / Montgomery Advertiser via AP Gov. Bob Riley presents the Medal of Commendation to Alabama National Guardsmen on Aug. 28. The soldiers were returning from training at Camp Shelby, Miss., when they came upon a bus that had rolled. The guardsmen helped rescue trapped victims, directed traffic and assisted the injured until authorities arrived.

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