News: Stanley – Lee Brothers Lauded (1969)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Lee, Hoover, Nixon

----Source: THORP COURIER (Thorp, Clark County, Wis.) 26 Jun 1969

Two teenage brothers from Stanley (Chippewa Co., Wis.) received bravery medals from President Richard Nixon on Tuesday for rescuing their mother and two younger brothers from a burning house.

Young American Medals for Bravery were awarded in a White House ceremony to Ronald Clark Lee, 17, and Randy Dean Lee, 18. Only 47 of the medals have been issued since the award was authorized in 1960 by Congress.

A panel headed by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover selected the brothers for the award.

The Lee brothers were awakened by their mother's screams on February 12, 1967, and found their aging log house ablaze. Unable to move about because of smoke and fire, they broke out a window and jumped into thigh deeps snow in their underclothes with the temperature at 30 below zero.

They ran to their mother's bedroom window, broke it and helped her out. Randy then went in and carried out Tommy, seven years old at the time.

Although the house was engulfed in flames, Ronald went back inside and got the other brother, Edwin Jr.,, through a window. Their father was working the night shift in Eau Claire at the time of the fire.

Mrs. Lee suffered smoke inhalation and burns and subsequently died. Both boys were hospitalized with burns on their hands and faces. Ronald also sustained cuts from breaking the windows.

Both brothers suffered burns and frost bite during the rescue