John B. Epperson helped to save Lloyd E. Hunter from burning, Burlington, Washington, June 21, 1995. Hunter, 77, remained inside his 28-foot motor home after it overturned onto its driver’s side in a highway accident, then caught fire in the engine area. Epperson, 35, truck driver, witnessed the accident and responded to the scene with a fire extinguisher, which he used to knock down flames temporarily. He and another man who had arrived then climbed atop the vehicle and opened a door on its passenger side. After the other man lowered himself into the motor home, Epperson crouched, reached inside, and grasped Hunter by the arms to help pull him out. The other man kicked out the windshield from inside the motor home. Flames had resumed and were spreading to the front of the vehicle as the other man led Hunter through the windshield opening and to safety. Epperson descended from the motor home, which was shortly engulfed by flame and was destroyed. Hunter recovered from scratches to an arm.
70144-8013Obituary
John Bradley Epperson entered into eternal rest on October 24, 2007 at the young age of 47. Epperson was born in Tulsa, OK on June 19, 1960. He was baptized into Christianity in 1974. He was a high school athlete in basketball and listed in Who’s – Who in American High Schools in 1978. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Earth Science in 1988. He proudly served in both the U.S. Navy as a P3C Anti-submarine Aircraft crew member and in the U.S. Army, including highly decorated service in Desert Shield, Storm and Farewell as a regular army commissioned officer. He was awarded the Washington State Highway Patrol Award of Merit in 1995 for risking his life in rescuing a motorist from inside a burning motor home and subsequently the very prestigious Andrew Carnegie Foundation National Hero Medal for the same rescue effort. He is survived by his son Jason Epperson, mother Lois Epperson, father John Epperson, brother Erick Epperson and wife Oksana, sister Julie Macre and husband Ben, a niece Svetlana Epperson, and nephews Maximillian and Alexander Macre, and numerous family and friends. He was a very caring and loving person and he will always be loved and truly missed.