Hard rain stung his chest and pummeled his face, but 1st Sgt. Fletcher Armstrong III would not be stopped by nature's fury.

Food and water were needed by people at Secrets Excellence Punta Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic, and he was determined the need would be met.

So, the 38-year-old Marine forced his way through Hurricane Jeanne's 110 mph winds to get to the main common area about 500 yards from his hotel room. He wore only blue scuba shoes and a pair of red shorts with the word "lifeguard" on them.

The people he helped remember his red shorts and have stenciled his steely will into their memory. These former strangers, folk Armstrong now considers friends, are grateful to him because he fought the storm for them. For three days, Armstrong took on the role of provider, protector, watcher and warrior for 500 people - 100 Europeans and 400 Americans - stranded at a five-star hotel.

Folk say he is a hero. He shrugs off that lofty label. He is crying now, moved by thank-you e-mails and cards celebrating his leadership.

"If it wasn't for Fletcher, we would still be there," says D. Mitzi Dazo Strother, 67, of Holmdel, N.J. "And I say that from the bottom of my heart. He got everything going smoothly. I feel indebted to Fletcher. He is a credit to the Marines Corps. We are proud of him. He deserves any honor he gets."

Armstrong, who bought his home here May 19, just wanted a vacation. He longed to enjoy a romantic adventure with his fiancee, Melissa Hoffman, 34. He wanted to spoil her, and they both felt deserving of the time off. It had taken him four years to save the $4,500 needed for their trip.

"I'd never taken a vacation in my life," says Armstrong, a 20-year Marine veteran. "I was really excited about it."