A MARINE AND COP TO HIS CORE

Decked out in dress blues at the Marine Corps Ball, offduty police officer leaps to resuscitate crash victim – twice.

STORY BY NICK PERNA

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT

nce a Marine, always a Marine.” Like law enforcement, the Marine Corps is an organization where its members achieve lifelong membership into the organization they have sworn an oath to. Cops and marines also maintain lifelong kinships with those they have served.

Many veterans are drawn to law enforcement. For me, I have seen many similarities between my time in the military and my time as a police officer. As a whole, veterans tend to be better prepared for the rigors of a law enforcement career and adapt quickly to it.

Both lines of work also emphasize the importance of helping others. It is ingrained in soldiers and cops alike to go to great lengths to help others in times of extreme need.

OFFICER FERNANDO RAMIREZ is a member of the San Mateo Police Department in Northern California. He is also a marine. Every November, marines get together to celebrate the birth of the

Corps. The Marine Corps Birthday, as it is known, is generally celebrated at the Marine Corps Ball, an event held throughout the country.

Officer Ramirez was attending the ball when he observed a driver crash his vehicle into a building in South San Francisco. While dressed in full USMC dress blues, he ran to the scene to assist. He located an intoxicated driver who wasn’t breathing and had no pulse.

He summoned the skills learned jointly in the military and in law enforcement to conduct CPR. Through his efforts, he was able to bring the subject back to life. While awaiting medics, the subject again stopped breathing. Officer Ramirez again initiated life-saving measures, bringing the subject back to life a second time.

The driver was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he survived.

The few, the proud. “The few” consists of those who are willing to risk their personal safety to help others. “The proud” is everyone else. 

Editor’s note: Author Nick Perna is a sergeant with the Redwood City Police Department in northern California. He previously served as a paratrooper in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also has a master’s degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent contributor to multiple print and online forums on topics related to law enforcement, firearms, tactics and veterans issues.