Anti-war activist among host of aftermath heroes

A cowboy-hat wearing anti-war activist who once tried to take his own life has emerged as the face of hope to Americans in the aftermath of the Boston blasts

Carlos Arredondo made headlines in 2004 when — upon hearing of his son’s death while serving in Iraq — he locked himself in a van with five gallons of gasoline and a propane torch, and set the van on fire.

The Costa Rican immigrant survived and on Monday was at the marathon supporting runners who had dedicated their race to fallen soldiers.

Video captured him in his stetson hat climbing among the wreckage and later helping bring a wounded victim to an ambulance in a wheelchair.

The 52-year-old said: “My instinct was to run across by the flags and start picking up people and bringing them to the emergency room.

Other heroes emerged, too. Retired NFL lineman Joe Andruzzi, who played for three New England Patriots Super Bowl championship teams, was near the finish line waiting for his wife when explosions ripped through the crowd and he helped carry people to safety

Vernon Loeb, editor at The Washington Post, and John Eligon, reporter at The New York Times, were also lauded. Both men had already crossed the finish line when the bombs exploded. Their job instincts kicked in and both interviewed runners and wrote copy for their papers amidst the chaos.