Chip ONeal does not think of himself as a hero. To Chip, a hero is someone like his son Dan who is serving in the Army in Iraq. But to JFK, both Chip and his son Dan are heroes.
Chip has been working in the Engineering department at JFK for the past 13 years. When Hurricane Frances hit West Palm Beach, Chip, who was part of the hurricane relief team at JFK, drove straight to work in the midst of the storm, dodging trees and power lines the whole way. When the power went out at JFK, kicking on the backup generators, Chip tirelessly met the electrical needs for every department in the hospital. Going without sleep for two days and never leaving the hospital, Chip made sure all those who needed power had it. Never at any point did his focus shift from the task at hand. Not even when he received a call two days after Hurricane Frances and learned that his son had been injured in Iraq.
JFK Employees bid Chip & Betty O’Neal farewell at the airport.
PFC 1st Class Dan ONeal, 19, who has been in the Army for a little over a year, was patrolling Iraq with two other soldiers when there was an explosion ten feet from their vehicle. As shrapnel rained down on them, Dan was thrown from the vehicle. By the time Chip knew of his sons injury, Dan was in surgery because of a head wound he received from the shrapnel.
While Dan was stabilized and transferred to a hospital in Germany, Hurricane Jeanne hit the east coast of Florida. Once again, Chip came to JFK and worked without sleep, making sure all the electrical needs of the hospital were met. He dedicated himself to JFK, even though his own house sustained significant damage in the storms.
Immediately after Hurricane Jeanne, JFK sent Chip and his wife Betty to Germany so that they could visit Dan and make sure he was OK. JFK paid for the airline tickets and hotels, and several JFK employees met Chip and Betty at the airport with signs and cameras to bid them farewell. They arrived in Germany and met with their sons doctors to discuss his injuries and recovery. When they went to Dans room to surprise him, their family reunion was filled with tears and relief.
Dan still has trouble hearing and walking, and it is unsure at this point whether his hearing will return, but his spirits are soaring and doctors are optimistic about his recovery. Chip and Betty are so grateful to JFK for their generosity, they still get a tear in their eye when they talk about their experience. But it is JFK who is grateful to have someone like Chip ONeal, a hero at home, and Dan ONeal, a hero abroad.
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