CONCERT TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED AT THE STATE FAIR GROUNDS BROUGHT TO MIND ONE OF MY HEROS. It was in the 1960's Jaime was a young red headed man, tall and big for his age. I thought his head alone was the size of a basketball from where I stood at 11 years old. It was followed by a build most weight lifting twenty somethings would die for today, naturally large, impressive, a stand out in a crowd. He had a booming laugh and a constant need to create trouble. One time, just for fun he turned Mrs. Crahan's Volkswagen upside down. He didn't dent it and he had every intention of placing it back in an upright position.

Another time, he took our Volkswagen and road it through the aisles at Haag Drugstore on 56th and Illinois - Jaime was one of those - and my Mom and Dad felt compelled to help him. They took Jaime into their home and considered him my fifth brother. My father decided getting Jaime a job would keep him out of trouble. He talked the priest at St. Thomas Aquinas into allowing Jaime to work on the construction sight when the church was putting an addition on and Jaime went to work. He was young somewhere between 15 and 17 but he loved working there. I can remember how proud he was that he bought his own parents a refrigerator for Christmas.

It was during this time that the Coliseum in Indianapolis had an explosion.
Jaime had always been an ambulance and fire truck chaser and was one of the first to know what was happening. He snuck in and saw that people were pinned down by large pieces of cement and he knew what he had to do. Jaime went to St. Thomas and broke in - he jumped on the backhoe he had just learned to drive (license ? - who knows) and drove it to the coliseum where he spent hours lifting concrete off of victims - saving countless lives.

From that tragedy, after high school, Jaime went on to be a Green Beret. He never spoke to me about that time but one tale was that he was the lead person to try to evacuate innocent people before the fight....After three Vietnam Tours - Jaime became a steelworker and as he was working in downtown Indianapolis a fire broke out and threatened the then Indiana National Bank Tower. Jim scaled the drain pipe with the fire hoses and saved the building....

He later went on to be asked by then President Clinton to head the relief program in Mexico for the American People during the earthquake.

The now in existence American Emergency Relief Task Force which is stationed in Indianapolis was part of his brotherhood from those days.

They needed supplies and Jaime tapped those St. Thomas boys and raised money for the task force. My parents often received little blurps from Jaime with a newspaper article and mention of his name....his life was an inspiration. He was never a "wealthy" man, but he was rich. Jaime died young - cancer- I have often thought from Agent Orange - but we will never know. I do know though that his lesson lives on. I tell my three sons often this tale. I do it to guide them in what is right.

At his funeral the Task Force Came in groves and they also brought "Big Jim" the fire truck named in his honor.

My heart goes out to those who recently suffered another tragedy. My hope is that out of such a horrible event something inspirational will be visited.