U.S. Navy HM1 DeSantis to receive Angels of the Battlefield Award

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Armed Services YMCA is pleased to announce HM1 Victor J.  DeSantis of the U.S. Navy as the 2019 Angels of the Battlefield Award recipient for the Marine Corps. DeSantis' commendable medical abilities while deployed in support of Operation Pacific Eagle in the Philippines saved many lives.

Marine Battalion Landing Team-Three was in a firefight on Aug. 12, 2018, about 4 kilometers from Camp Bautista and sustained two injuries. The first had a gunshot wound to the chest near the clavicle. DeSantis placed a chest seal and performed a needle decompression of the right chest. DeSantis also took over a tubal thoracotomy, placing the thoracic tube. The second had a gunshot wound in the arm with an arterial bleed. A tourniquet in place for about 12 hours was released, putting the patient at risk for shock. DeSantis directed nurses to establish bilateral large bore IVs to administer normal saline and a Foley catheter to monitor fluid output. He began cardiac monitoring and prepared advanced cardiac life support medications. The patient's heart held a normal rhythm as DeSantis led the hospital staff through his crush syndrome protocol. By the time the medevac helicopter arrived, the vital signs of both patients had stabilized. 

The Angels of the Battlefield Awards Gala is an Armed Services YMCA signature event honoring the individual men and women on the front lines who are saving lives and have demonstrated extraordinary courage. The Armed Services YMCA recognizes a single individual from each military branch for their accomplishments. 

The annual Angels of the Battlefield Gala is Oct. 27 at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Arlington, Va. Angels is the only event which recognizes the front line actions of military medical personnel.  

ABOUT ARMED SERVICES YMCA: 

The Armed Services YMCA is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit that serves currently serving military members and their families. In 2018, we engaged more than 225,000 people in our programs and delivered nearly 1 million points of services to junior enlisted Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and family members at 200 service centers in 18 states. The Armed Services YMCA is a nonprofit with a mission: Strengthening Our Military Family.

Media Contact: Danielle K. Meyers, Armed Services YMCA 571.932.3932 or  [email protected]

SOURCE Armed Services YMCA