David E. Hoffman, 18, cart boy, saved Barton J. Ralls, 6, and Troy W. Caldwell, 1, from burning, Phoenix, Arizona, November 1, 1966. Barton and Troy were in a coupe in a parking lot with Barton’s five-year-old sister and two infants. Fire broke out on the seat coverings and fabric lining at the right side of the coupe, which became filled with dense smoke. Hoffman noticed the smoke and ran to the automobile, where Barton’s sister had opened the left door and had started to get out. Hoffman aided the girl from the coupe and then probed the smoke in the rear compartment. He found Barton and removed him from the automobile. A man warned Hoffman that the fuel tank might explode. Flames as much as 12 inches high burned at places on the right side of the interior and on that end of the seats. Hoffman extended his upper body into the rear compartment, leaning over the left front backrest, which was lowered. With his hands close to the flames on the seat, Hoffman took hold of Troy and removed him from the coupe. Hoffman then heard the cries of the two infants, although he could not see them. Heat was becoming intense, and the flames had increased. Hoffman ran to the other side of the coupe and crawled between it and another vehicle. When he opened the right door briefly, very intense heat and tongues of flame issued through the opening. Hoffman returned to the left door but found that the entire interior of the coupe then was afire. Firemen arrived, extinguished the flames, and removed the bodies of the two infants.
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