Fort Benning soldier awarded medal for saving two kids from drowning in the Chattahoochee

1st Lt. James R. Lamoreaux received the Soldier's Medal Thursday afternoon for his quick actions diving into the Chattahoochee River and saving two boys from drowning.

"I am humbled before you to receive this medal," Lamoreaux said. "I am an ordinary soldier who happened to be at the right place at a fortunate time."

That fortunate moment took place on the Chattahoochee River Island near 11th Street and Bay Avenue on March 15, 2014. Lamoreaux and his wife Shannon were exploring the RiverWalk for the first time when he saw two boys, ages 9 and 15, struggling in the current.

The younger boy was in the water first just south of the area known as Cut Bait, and the older boy had gone in after him, according to Robert Futrell, deputy chief of Columbus Fire & Emergency Medical Services.

Lamoreaux, a former lifeguard and strong swimmer, said he immediately slipped behind his wife and jumped in.

"He caught up to them and pulled him onto the rocks," Shannon told the Ledger-Enquirer at the time. "He still had his phone and keys in his pocket. His phone was ruined, but the kids were safe."

Lamoreaux demurred from praising himself for saving the children. He asked the 644 members of the 15th Infantry Regiment gathered at Sledgehammer Field to instead ook up to other people who save lives every day.

"I've been told several times that the actions that took place on March 15, 2014, have made me a hero in some way," Lamoreaux said during his speech. "Indeed, I despise the usage of that word in reference to me because I know there are numerous actions that soldiers have done that have gone unnoticed."

Lt. Col. Fred Tanner, Lamoreaux's commander, said the first lieutenant's act was undeniably heroic.

"As uncomfortable as he may be with that word, that's what it is," Tanner said.

The out-of-the-ordinary nature of Lamoreaux's actions won him a Soldier's Medal, a major award given to those who risk their lives for others outside of combat. They are rarely given, according to Tanner, who guessed that the last one was received by one of the men who stopped the Paris train attack.

Tanner said the significance of the award and Lamoreaux switching from training command to forces command were some of the reasons why it took so long to give it to him.

Tanner praised the newly promoted first lieutenant, saying he was a better-than-average young officer who showed great promise.

"I'm super proud," Tanner said. "This may be the pinnacle of what he's done so far, but I don't think it's the pinnacle of what he'll do."

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Fort Benning soldier awarded medal for saving two kids from drowning in the Chattahoochee."