It’s not every day you get a chance to meet a true American hero. Well, earlier this week, I found one living right here in Santa Clarita.
Steve Stillings, a retired EOD officer for the U.S. Air Force who has dedicated his life to serving his country and the people who live in it.
For those who don’t know, EOD stands for Explosive Ordinance Disposal. A job such as this includes the detection, identification, on-site evaluation, recovery, and final disposal of un-detonated explosives.
In a nutshell, someone labeled with this profession deals with life threatening bombs on a daily basis. If you have trouble grasping a concept a dangerous as this, Stillings said that you can compare what he did, to that of the movie the Hurt Locker.
Upon further discussion of the basics of his past occupation, I came to learn that not only did the military veteran protect American citizens from the dangers of explosives, but also multiple U.S. presidents including; George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush (Which turned out to be one of the biggest highlights of his career).
Stilling said his current favorite song is a familiar one; God Bless America.
This song speaks to him in a way that no other song can. The lyrics explain why he fought the way he did, and are the motive for his love of the country that he holds so dear to him.
A Hero Amongst Us
