A Heroic Effort After the Quake
* On the morning of Jan. 17, we lost our beloved Jerry Allen Green in the disastrous Northridge earthquake.
We have the highest admiration for all the rescue workers, firefighters and police personnel for all their courageous efforts.
Our family would like special recognition given to Andre van der Valk for heroism.
Alongside trained rescue workers (which he was not), he frantically dug for three hours through mounds of rubble, even as aftershocks rocked the Northridge Meadows Apartments on the collapsed first floor where Jerry lived--desperately trying to find him and never giving a thought to the danger he faced.
Andre had never met Jerry, but this gentle man insisted that “no man should die alone.”
His bravery should not go unrecognized. Our community should be aware of this very special man. He is an inspiration to all of us. May God bless him and his family, and always look after them.
JANET GREEN
Panorama City
The letter was signed by 10 other members of Jerry Green’s family.
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