Who’s behind the tools at HURST Jaws of Life? It’s parts movers like Dallas Gash, who works for others and is a proud U.S. Marine Corp mother. Her story, though, starts with her name.

“My dad was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan,” she says, shaking her head while she explains for what probably feels like the millionth time in her life why she is named Dallas. When asked if she’s a fan, too, she laughs. “Of course, it comes with the territory! But not just the Cowboys. I love all football.” She’s not exclusive to the Texas team, branching out her cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, too.

But Dallas’ real hero is her son. There’s no logo on his helmet, and he has the whole country cheering for him. Dallas’ son, Keddrick, is a member of the United States Marine Corp. He’s stationed in Jacksonville, North Carolina, now, but he is preparing for his first deployment; this spring, he’ll go to Japan where he’ll be stationed for two years. He works in the armory and repairs weapons, and Dallas says it’s a calling that struck when he was just a boy.

“He’s known his path since he was little,” Dallas said. “He would take his Airsoft guns apart and put them back together. He’s really doing what he’s always loved doing.”

Dallas already is planning a fall visit to Japan to see her only son. A flight from HURST Jaws of Life’s home state of North Carolina to Japan is more than 14 hours each way, so she’s figuring out her itinerary and saving her vacation days.

That’s not all she’s saving. Dallas takes pride in the fact she’s part of a team whose work ultimately helps saves lives.

“I love working here. I love my job,” she said. “It’s my job to make sure my coworkers have what they need to build HURST Jaws of Life rescue tools, so first responders can save lives,” she said.

Spoken like a true champion.

#BehindTheTools