Hero Boy Scout To Receive Medal

Peter Guariglia of Plandome Boy Scout Troop 71 has a lot to be proud of. The Theodore Roosevelt Boy Scout Council is awarding Guariglia a Medal of Merit for his heroic February 2014 rescue of several passengers from an overturned van on the Long Island Expressway. Guariglia was 15 years old at the time. The award ceremony will be held on May 11 at the Theodore Roosevelt Council’s annual golf classic at the Mill River Club. Guariglia will be the speaker at the event also.
The incident happened early one Saturday morning in February 2014. According to Guariglia, he was driving with his mother to a Sea Cadet meeting, a youth organization affiliated with the Navy, in Farmingdale. A van in front of them was cut off, swerved across four lanes and overturned onto its driver’s side on the side of the expressway.
“We saw the van flip over on its side and we pulled over right away. My mother called 911 and we ran over to the van,” said Guariglia. “There was snow on the ground and we could see someone’s fingers sticking out of a window. I told them to turn off the engine and began trying to open the doors. I had to climb up the undercarriage to
get on top to open the passenger door. Then I got everyone out.”
“Peter didn’t hesitate,” said his mother Alice. “Peter helped all of the people get out. There were five people in total in the van. The passengers had been asleep and they were in shock. One had a broken arm. Peter asked to look at the man’s arm. The man said ‘are you a doctor?’ and Peter said ‘no I’m a boy scout.’ Peter got everyone away from the van and when police arrived they even asked how old he was because he was in his dress blues from Sea Cadet. They were surprised he was 15.”
Afterwards, Guariglia and his mother drove to the Sea Cadet meeting and he got in trouble because his uniform was dirty. When the Sea Cadets later found out about the incident, he was given an award from them also. Guariglia is now a junior at Kellenberg Memorial High School.
The Medal of Merit is a national award being conferred on him for his outstanding act of service of a rare or exceptional character that reflects an uncommon degree of concern for the well-being of others. Troop 71 Scout Leader Chris Simone said, “The scouts and adult leadership of Troop 71 are very proud of Peter’s heroism. It’s a testament to his outstanding character and commitment to the ideals of the Boy Scout program. Peter will always be a role model to other Scouts.”
According to Alice Guariglia, “I saw him as a man that day, or the man he will become. I still get emotional about it.”