Staff Writer

When Jacob Arnold saw a fellow student choking, his Boy Scout training kicked in.

It was the spring of 2007 and students at Sims Jr. High were in physical education class. A boy had a turkey caller in his mouth and it went down his throat.

“I saw that he started grabbing at his throat,” said Jacob, now 15 and a rising sophomore at Union County High. “I performed the Heimlich Maneuver and he coughed it up after a little bit.”

Jacob said he learned the maneuver in Boy Scouts, probably during first aid training.

Jacob didn't even tell his parents, Philip and Kathy Arnold, what had happened. But word got back to Troop 42, where Jacob is a Boy Scout.

Freddie Gault, one of the leaders in the troop and a Palmetto Executive Council member, began gathering the information to nominate Jacob for the National Award of Merit.

On May 25 during a surprise ceremony at his church, Grace United Methodist, Jacob received the award. It is awarded by the Chief Executive Scout for the United States.

Gault said officials can't recall Troop 42 ever before presenting the award to a Scout and could find only one other Scout in the entire council (Union, Chester, Spartanburg, York, Laurens and Cherokee counties) who had received the award.

“The award was presented to him for going out of his way to save a person's life,” he said.

Gault said information about Jacob's actions was sent to the National Boy Scout office for review and approval by the National Board and then forwarded to the Chief Executive Scout. Statements from those who witnessed the life-saving incident were included with the recommendation.

“It was a long process for the award to be received,” he said.

Troop 42 Scoutmaster Paul Greer said he is proud of all the young men in Troop 42.

“And it was special to hear Jacob say how he knew to do what he had done - he learned it in Boy Scouts,” he said. “If you are a Scoutmaster, that makes you proud. You hope they all use the knowledge they have gained in some way.”

Along with Scouting, Jacob stays busy in many other ways. He is a baseball umpire with Union Dixie Boys and Dixie Youth. He is a scorekeeper for WDD, a Dixie Boys team his brother, Cal, plays on. Cal, 14, also is a Boy Scout.

Jacob, who wants to be professional forester like his Dad when he grows up, recommends Scouting to other boys.

“All the enjoyment you get out of it - camping, awards - and it would be good on a college resume,” he said.