“The first 9-1-1 call I ever received was a soldier trying to commit suicide. I kept talking to him, trying to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, and I kept him on the phone until I was able to get deputies there to help him.”

That’s how Wanda Smith, Womack Army Medical Center’s Red Cross Volunteer Lead, described her first foray into helping people on a personal level. She served as a 9-1-1 dispatcher at the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department at the time.

Smith saved that soldier’s life more than a decade ago. She even continued to follow up with him from time to time. “That’s the moment I often go back to,” she says. “I have always wanted to help people, to make a difference in other people’s lives and I always go back to that call.”

Last week, Smith was awarded the Public Service Commendation Medal by the Department of the Army for her tireless efforts serving soldiers and veterans at Womack Army Medical Center over the past few years.

As a Red Cross volunteer, Wanda has worked solely as a Service to the Armed Forces program, which supports military personnel, military retirees, veterans, and their families throughout the North Carolina central region. She has served about 12,000 hours as a Red Cross volunteer since her stint with law enforcement.

Lauren Bolen, American Red Cross Interim Director, Service to the Armed Forces, acknowledges the elite honor. “What Wanda does is no small task,” she says. “This constant partnership allows the hospital to run smoothly and keeps Red Cross volunteers engaged. Her efforts are consistent, year after year, and it’s not just an occasional effort. Wanda is there when the sun rises and after the sun sets, she takes the time to get to know people and make volunteering at Womack feel like home.”

Smith can often be seen delivering books and hygiene items to patients from the comfort-cart that she pushes around the medical center. She also services members and their families through challenges posed by family issues, as well as pre- and post-deployment challenges.

Smith also started the Green Ramp program which, during deployments, sees soldiers off, telling them she will be there when they return. “The look on their faces when they return and get off the plane and see me is priceless,” she says. “They say oh my gosh, you were not kidding, you really are here!”

Asked directly why she chooses to volunteer, Wanda humbly responds “I don’t know. I just do. It’s the people.”

Story by Dan Grubb, Womack Army Medical Center

Disclaimer: "The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."