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  • Approved for CNN

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    Posted May 6, 2010 by
    JoyfulGypsy
    Location
    New York City, New York
    Assignment
    Assignment
    This iReport is part of an assignment:
    Times Square evacuations

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    Lance Orton, Times Square Hero

    By JoyfulGypsy  |  Posted May 6, 2010  |  New York City, New York
     

    CNN PRODUCER NOTE     JoyfulGypsy told me, 'There was a steady stream of tourists that would stop by asking to have their picture taken with him and to buy t-shirts from him. He told me he didn't like the attention so much, but he was liking the increase in business.' There has been some discussion about other vendors in the area as well being involved in the response, and Lance Orton is one of the people who has been credited.
    - hhanks, CNN iReport producer

    I was walking in Times Square, New York City, with my husband yesterday (Wed., May  5th) when I noticed that Lance Orton's t-shirt stand was swarmed with reporters.  If you've been in Times Square, you're likely to have seen Mr. Orton selling his wares on the corner of 45th Street and Broadway.

     

    Lance Orton is the colorful t-shirt vendor and heroic Viet Nam veteran with the booming voice who alerted police of the smoke coming from the SUV that turned out to be a car bomb last Saturday, May, 1, 2010.  His alertness appears to have prevented what was intended to be yet another act of terrorism on US soil.


    I met Lance a few weeks prior to the attempted bombing of Times Square when I bought several "I (heart) NY" t-shirts from him to give to friends who were visiting from Texas.

    Yesterday, I stopped by to say hello and was taken aback by all the the ruckus the media was making.  I stood by watching it all for a few minutes and could see that he was getting a bit annoyed by all the attention and redundant questions.
    During a short break, I went up to him and he remembered me by name. I shook his hand,  thanked him for his service and for preventing the terrorist attack and I told him that I am also a veteran.  He had noticed that I had taken a few pictures of him while he was talking to reporters and joked about being "famous".  He asked my husband (who was standing nearby) to take a picture of him and me together and my husband snapped the attached picture with his cell phone.  That made my day!

    I asked him if he'd mind if I posted his pictures on CNN iReport.com and he said "Sure.  Go ahead."  Then, I asked him if there was any message he wanted me to put out on his behalf.  He replied, "See something.  Say something."  Wise words from a courageous man.

    Thank you, Lance Orton.  Well done.  You're my hero.

     

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