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April 27, 2007
Meet Travis VanKuren
Seventeen-year-old Travis VanKuren was walking to his car at the Wal-Mart in Springettsbury Township at 7 p.m. last Wednesday when he saw a man and a woman struggling in the parking lot.
VanKuren, a slim, 5-foot, 9-inch junior at Dallastown Area High School, took a closer look and made eye contact with the woman involved in the fight.
"She looked over at me and started screaming for help," VanKuren said. The woman also screamed "help" at two other people in the parking lot who looked at her and walked away.
VanKuren didn't.
Instead, he decided to help, and police say what the 17-year-old did next saved a 42-year-old Manchester Township woman from a man who was impersonating a police officer and intended to kidnap and rape her.
With an almost bashful smile, VanKuren said his reaction to the cry for help is "something I'm proud of."
But the teen didn't think what he did was too heroic.
Heck yeah it was heroic!
Holt, police said, admitted his plans to kidnap and rape the woman, and he was charged with attempted rape, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, attempted kidnapping, impersonating a public servant and several other charges. Last July Holt was convicted of attempted rape in Lancaster County.
I suppose Travis could have assessed the situation, determined that repeat offender Holt was winning, and then redeployed out of there, but, fortunately for the victim, Travis is a Junior Marine, ROTC.
Semper Fi!
Posted by LindaSoG at April 27, 2007 07:08 AM
Comments
THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT BABY! A 17 YR OLD HIGHSCHOOL STUDENT WITH MORE BALLS THAN OUR OWN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES!
SEMPER FI
Posted by: Austin Petree at April 27, 2007 08:43 AM
Can you imagine the headlines if this sterling young man had been armed and sitting in a VTech classroom not long ago?...
Posted by: Kevin M at April 27, 2007 09:49 AM
Right on Austin and Kevin, this kid has his act together, while others run off to play their Walkman this young man does the honorable thing. There is hope for us as a nation yet if there are a few more like him out there. Thanks Linda.
Go Travis!!!
Posted by: Jack at April 27, 2007 07:42 PM
Read the whole story. His ROTC instructor said of him:
"He knows what is right or wrong, and he steps up."
You could say that about the overwhelming majority of our military (excluding Murtha). I can't type anymore...my eyes are starting to water up...
Posted by: Kevin M at April 27, 2007 09:39 PM
what a great story, why didn't I see it on the evening news?
Posted by: rogerthat at April 28, 2007 09:01 AM
Dear RogerThat:
The reason you didn't see it on the "news" is because "news" is, by definition, something that depricates and marginalizes decent people who were brought up right. What we have here is a case of a woman who was on the verge of being brutalized by a violent, parasitic male--probably white--and what happens?...
Some ROTC Junior Marine sticks his nose where it doesn't belong and prevents a perfectly good excuse to piss and moan about evil men and their oppression of women (standard fare on the dhimmicrat menu). So instead of a lovely addition to criminal statistics that fuel leftwing interventionist nanny-state policies, we have a happy story of heroism and rock-solid character committed by a 5'9" 17 year old who is a credit to everything this country was founded on.
That's why you didn't hear about it on the evening news.
Please forgive the sarcasm and irony. But I can no longer tolerate the fabulous notion that "journalism" is being practiced in this country. If it were, you WOULD HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT ON THE EVENING NEWS!
Posted by: Kevin M at April 28, 2007 02:16 PM
We are enormously proud of Travis for his instinctive response in this situation but we are further proud of the way his lives is daily life, with honor and integrity. – His parents.
Posted by: Steve at April 29, 2007 07:33 AM
Thanks for sharing this one Linda. A great story I didn't know about.
Posted by: Cathy at April 29, 2007 09:17 AM
He deserves all the thanks he is getting.
Posted by: Jack at April 30, 2007 03:37 AM
kool
Posted by: johnny at August 27, 2007 09:58 PM