A piece of EMS history dies

[Dustdevil]

Despite what all the n00bs think, there isn't a lot of glamour in this job. But every now and then, one of us has a rendezvous with history.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/042810dnmetjfkrike.3f259b1.html

Aubrey Lee "Al" Rike: Ambulance driver helped Jackie after JFK

assassination

11:02 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 27, 2010

By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News

jsimnacher@dallasnews.com

On Nov. 22, 1963, Aubrey Lee "Al" Rike had hoped to get a glimpse of

President John F. Kennedy's motorcade.

Instead, the 25-year-old Dallas ambulance driver became an eyewitness to

the turmoil at Parkland Memorial Hospital

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http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Parkland_Hospital>

, where he would

befriend Jacqueline Kennedy, help her transfer her wedding band to her

husband's finger, and place the president's body into a bronze casket.

Mr. Rike, 72, died Thursday of a heart attack at LifeCare Hospitals of

Plano.

The emotion of that day would forever overcome Mr. Rike when he would

tell his story for interviews, speeches or seminars, said his wife,

Glenda Rike of Plano.

Few knew of Mr. Rike's amazing story until a researcher located him in

1980, said Gary Mack, curator of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

In September 2001, Mr. Rike told his story for the museum's oral history

collection, choking up when he recalled helping Mrs. Kennedy place her

wedding band on her husband's finger.

When the ring stopped at the first joint of the president's ring finger,

Mr. Rike reached for some lubricant, which helped somewhat but not much.

"And she said, 'Thank you,' and then she reached out and kissed that

ring," Mr. Rike said.

Born in Dallas, Mr. Rike was a graduate of Crozier Tech High School.

He served in the Marines before becoming an ambulance driver.

The day of the assassination, Mr. Rike and his partner were called to

transport a man to Parkland. He had fainted across from the Texas School

Book Depository about 10 minutes before the motorcade was to pass.

While filling out forms at Parkland, Mr. Rike noticed something big was

happening. He saw Lyndon B. Johnson and thought the

vice president might have had another heart attack.

Next, Texas Gov. John Connally was brought into the

emergency area, followed moments later by the president, his head

covered with a coat.

Mr. Rike said he spotted Mrs. Kennedy seated on a straight-back metal

chair outside the trauma room.

The first lady asked Mr. Rike if he was from Dallas.

"And I said, 'Yes, ma'am,' " he recalled in his oral history. "And you

know, it's kind of hard to make a conversation with, you know, the first

lady."

Mr. Rike said he wetted a towel in a nearby scrub room and gave it to

Mrs. Kennedy. She cleaned blood from her hands and placed the towel

under her chair.

Mr. Rike said the area was chaotic, loud and crowded with officials. Out

of cigarettes, Mr. Rike got permission to go to a vending machine.

When Mr. Rike returned, Mrs. Kennedy asked if she could have a

cigarette, he said.

As Mr. Rike reached into his breast pocket, a Secret Service agent knocked the

cigarettes down, scattering them across the floor.

The agent retrieved one of cigarettes and handed it to Mrs. Kennedy and

asked Mr. Rike if he had a light.

"So I gave him my Zippo very carefully because I didn't know what he was

going to do with that," Mr. Rike said.

Mr. Rike said he waited with Mrs. Kennedy for the casket to arrive.

After the president was given last rites, Mr. Rike and his partner

transferred the body to the casket.

Mrs. Kennedy wanted to ride in the back of the hearse with her husband.

Mr. Rike folded down the jump seat for Mrs. Kennedy, holding her arm so

that she could climb inside the hearse.

"A Secret Service agent grabbed me and threw me against the door," Mr.

Rike recalled.

Mrs. Kennedy then said, "Leave the young man alone. This is the only

gentleman I've met since I've been here," Mr. Rike recalled.

"And so I said, 'Thank you, ma'am.' "

He then he helped Mrs. Kennedy into the hearse.

"And she said, 'Thank you very much.' "

Mr. Rike went on to a 26-year career with the Highland Park Police

Department.

"Aubrey never embellished his story or changed it in any way - ever,"

Mr. Mack said. "He didn't make a big deal about what he did."

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral

Home in Allen. Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral

home.

Mr. Rike is survived by his wife, Glenda Rike of Plano; a son, Larry

Rike of Plano; and a sister, Carolyn Hawkins of McKinney.

[Kiwiology]

I bet O'Neal was pissed Dallas Fire Rescue took thier business

Makes you wonder who provided a better service

[Chief1C]

I knew I'd seen that name before. I read a cultural inventory, as we called it for a book I co-authored, or an oral history, by Walter Brown. He interviewed Mr. Rike, who was a driver for O'Neal Ambulance. The greatest impacts, were by those who ran calls before EMS existed. Their gift to us, was EMS, now it's our job to make it better for our grandchildren.

Actually, the O'Neal car had oxygen, and a radio, so by 1963 standards, they were already ahead of many ambulance operators. In a city especially, with liveries full of ambulances, the name of the game was speed and money. This was right around the time where focus was starting to get put on improvements in care on scene, and later, enroute to the hospital. As you can tell, size and equipment, not much care was done enroute.

[Dustdevil]

If DFD and HPDPS didn't send ambulances and honour guard to the funeral, they suck.

I wish I had gone.

[Kiwiology]

If DFD and HPDPS didn't send ambulances and honour guard to the funeral, they suck.

Doesn't DFR suck anyway?

[Don1977]

never heard of him/her.....

[Kim_Possible]

Dust....you are a little devil aren't you. What a great compelling story for EMS!!! I am so glad that you posted it. The last 9 years of my EMS career has been somewhat of a nightmare. This post gave me some faith in why I wanted to get into the profession originally.

This is what I feel real EMS/even medicine is all about. This wasn't about someone trying to be a hero. This was not a provider embellishing on a story about a code save, or a trauma where the provider looked like a paragod.

This is a story about a provider, who was able to console a person in need. This is what our profession is all about.

Thank you Dusty for helping me see a very illuminous picture of EMS.

Wish me luck, I am starting with a new service very soon. I am looking forward to beginning a new chapter in my career.

[HERBIE1]

Great story. As I said many times to my students, it's great to know a million drugs, have lots of fancy equipment and techniques to help people, but that is not what they remember. It's the little gestures, the extra time you take with an elderly family member or patient, words of assurance that their father, mother, or grandpa will be OK. THAT is what it's all about- making a connection with people- however brief-because they don't care if you have taken PALS, ACLS, PHTLS, PEPP, or can intubate like an anesthesiologist.

[Dustdevil]

Wow! Very cool that this story brought Kim out of hiding! Long time, no see!

Also very cool that you guys "get it". This guy made a difference -- and EMS history -- with likely no more than a Red Cross card and a driver licence. No fancy rig or drugs. Just a brain and a heart. And that's the foundation of a good practitioner.

Adios, Brother. Even in your passing, you continue to inspire the profession. See you soon.