Recently, Cadet Geoffrey D. Lake was awarded the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Silver Valor Award for heroism in the performance of valor, as a member of the NJ-20101 JROTC Corps at Seneca high school Tabernacle, New Jersey.
Cadet Lake’s selfless actions and clear thinking resulted in him saving his father’s life in the fall of 2014. While his father worked underneath his automobile, he shook the automobile trying to loosen a bolt, the automobile then rocked off the car-jack, pinning his father underneath the vehicle. As a result, Cadet Lake took immediate lifesaving action by calmly resetting the jack as the weight of the vehicle slowly crushed his father. With no additional help, Cadet Lake wedged himself against the vehicle and with his sheer strength alone, maneuvered the jack back in place; thus allowing Cadet Lake to raise the vehicle high enough to pull his father to safety. In addition, had Geoffrey not been present and taken such decisive action, his father would have surely been killed.
For his efforts, his Senior Aerospace Instructor, Major (Ret.) Sean P. Hoggs nominated Cadet Lake for the prestigious national Silver Valor Award, second only to the Gold Valor national award.
In closing, the singularly distinctive accomplishment of Cadet First Lieutenant Geoffrey D. Lake was recognized by Colonel Bobby C. Woods Jr., Director, United States Air Force (JROTC) on April 16. Cadet Lake was officially presented with the national award in a ceremony that was held on May 8, by Assistant Principal Mrs. Trish LaBouff.
