Evening star., 1952-08-01
Medal-of-Honor Man
Saves Young Mother
From Suicide Plunge

HOm JulCIQe Flunge
A Medal-of- Honor winner yes
terday prevented a grief-stricken
young mother from plunging nine
noorS at the YWCA, Seventeenth
and K streets NV.
Firemen credited Maynard H.
(Snutfy) Smith, Al, with saving
221year-old Mrs. Lucille Whomble
from certain death as hundreds
Of rush-hour passersby watched
the tense drama from the street
below.
The World War II hero climbed
on a narrow ledge high above Sew
enteenth street and talked sooth-
ingly to the upset woman. Even
tually he was able to pull her to
safety through a window.
Mrs. Smiths youngest child,
Norma Carol. had died of pneu-
monia last week at Gallinger
Hospital.
Tells Of Tense Moments.
II was on the floor above having
q soft drink in the USO lounge"
Mr.. Smith said. II looked out the
window and saw a woman climb
ing through on the floor below"
Mr.. Smith said that when he
rushed to the lower floor he found
two women standing there.
whats going on?" he asked.
They appeared frightened, but
told him they didn't know.
Mr.. Smith removed a screen
from a window and crawled onto
the narrow ledge. He said Mrs.
Whomble was standing on the
ledge, looking down, about 20 feet
from the window.
He crawled toward her on his
hands and knees.
las I got near her, my hand
touched hers and she drew farther
away. i
Il started talking to her. III
asked her why she wanted toll!
jump. She said she had lost herI,
baby last week and was also
having financial difficulties and
didn't want to live any more.
Stresses Two Children.
Il asked her if she had any more
kids and she told me about two
others at home.
Il told her it wasn't right to |
leave them for somebody else to
take care of. that they needed
her and that no matter what she
thought, nobody else could give
them the same care she could.
"A policeman crawled out on
the ledge behind me. She saw
him and became frightened. n
shouted back over my shoulder
for him to go back.
Finally edged up to her real
slow and got hold of her arm
and pulled her back to the win
dow. where firemen and police
grabbed her."
Mrs. Whomble was taken to-
Gallinger Hospital.
Fireman on Scene.
Mr.. Smith. who lives at 4l6
Leonard road. Falls Church, Va,
has three children of his own.
Il think it was my talk about
her responsibility to her children
that turned the trick" he said.
Firemen and police were called
to the scene at sos pm. Engine
Co. No. was there almost i'm
mediately. It is located around
the corner at 1643 K street.
Capt. George H. Flaherty,
commanding officer of the COM
pany, gave all the credit to Mr..
Smith.
He said Pvt. H. A. Lange Of
No. / Engine, crawled onto the
ledge. but was unable to get past
Mr.. Smith.
Meanwhile, No. rescue squad
had set up an amplif1er on the
street. and a fireman pleaded with
Mrs. Whomble not to jump. Fire
men from No. 3 Truck Company
spread a net below.
Mrs. Whomble's husband,
Wayne. a taxicab driver for the
Consolidated Cab Co., was asleep
atshome at 1902 D street Sc. Po-
lice said Mr.. Whomble works at
night.
The couples other children are
Wayne, jr. 2, and David. /.
Saved Wounded Airmen.
Mr.. Smith won his Medal of
Honor for a single-handed feat
Of bringing a burning Flying
Fortress containing wounded crew
members back across the English
Channel after a raid on German
submarine pens. .
His citation reports that he {
manned waist gun, battled the
flames and tended the injured in
the crippled Bit. Fires had
forced most Of the crew to bail
out Mr.. Smith was the second
American to receive the Congres- T.
VAR