A ceremony was recently held after a delay because of COVID-19 concerns and two of the honorees from Greene County were recognized for their life-saving efforts from a 2019 incident.

Greene County Deputy Shane Allen and Nate Bylerly with Churdan Fire and Rescue received the Sullivan Brothers’ Award for Valor. The recognition is given in the memory of five brothers who served and died on the USS Juneau in a naval battle in 1942. Allen and Byerly were first on the scene of a vehicle that had gone into the West Buttrick Creek at 5:17pm on October 10, 2019. The driver lost control of her jeep due to a medical condition. As they were waiting for a rescue boat, Byerly and Allen threw a rope to the driver, which she couldn’t secure herself to, and that’s when both men jumped into the freezing cold water. 

The two were joined by 11 others that received the same award for last year and this year. The ceremony was held in the Iowa Capitol Rotunda with Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg.