UNSEEN HEROES: Medical personnel riding in helicopters through the dark sky, either over your rural farmstead now or during wartime, put their lives at risk to save the lives of others. Pray for them! Chalabala/Getty Images

It was an incredibly still night, with no breeze, not even the chirping of insects. I laid in bed wide awake, wrestling with my thoughts. It's when I "fix" things or get my "writing" done before it goes on paper. Then, I heard the distinctive sound of a helicopter heading my way in a northeasterly direction. At that hour, it meant one thing -- somebody was in trouble.

It passed over much lower than other air traffic that flies over our remote farm. Soon it was gone, and stillness returned.

I prayed that God would place his hand of protection on those unknown "good Samaritans" in that underappreciated medical helicopter, responding to serious medical needs. I was reminded of a report I came across while preparing an article on responses to emergency medical events involving farmers. It summarized 83 medical helicopter crashes between 2010 and 2021, involving 239 fatalities.

The use of medical helicopters and planes today saves a boatload of lives, especially in rural communities, located considerable distances from emergency care. For farmers and farmworkers who experience serious injuries, delays in care can be deadly and contribute to high fatality rates of agricultural-related incidents.

Before I drifted off, I thought of this verse from Psalm 57: "He sends help from heaven and saves me."

Sounds of help

A farmer I know well, awarded a Purple Heart in Vietnam, said the sweetest sound he ever heard was the "whump-whump-whump" of a helicopter coming in low over dense jungle. Today, he still stops what he is doing to watch helicopters pass over.

If it hadn't been for one of those noisy "birds" transporting him to a medical base, he believes he wouldn't be here. Today, he farms and raises a family.

The next time your sleep is interrupted as a medical helicopter passes over, consider praying for both the person served and those trained emergency first responders flying to the scene with lifesaving care.

Field is the Purdue Extension farm safety specialist. He operates his own small farm in Tippecanoe County, Ind. If you have thoughts or memories of an important event in your life to share, send it to [email protected] or 599 N., 200 W., Franklin, IN 46131.