Boston Crossing Guard Given Award Posthumously
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS) -- A Dorchester crossing guard, who died while shielding a boy from an on-coming car, received one of the nation's highest civilian honors Friday.
Marie Conley died in 2008 when she was hit by a car outside Mathers Elementary School.
Conley was among those honored with a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. Her son, Christopher, who's an Iraq war veteran accepted the "Citizen Service Before Self Award" for his mother.
"Everyday in this country ordinary Americans do extraordinary things. It can happen in an instance of bravery or in a lifetime of placing others before themselves," said General James Amos of the US Marine Corps during the ceremony.
Boston Mayor Tom Menino also praised Conley, saying the award is a fitting tribute to a woman who sacrificed her own safety to protect a child.
