When a civilian T-59 Hawk jet slammed into Marine Lance Cpl. Anthony DuBeau's truck during a botched takeoff at an Arizona military base, Cpl. John Ferguson sprang into action.

When the truck and plane burst into flames at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on March 11, 2015, Ferguson sprinted toward DuBeau's vehicle to pull his comrade from the vehicle and carry him away from the wreckage.

Despite Ferguson's efforts, DuBeau, 23, died from his injuries. Ferguson, a combat engineer with Marine Wing Support Squadron 371, was recently awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his response. The medal is the service's highest non-combat decoration for heroism.

Ferguson was pouring concrete with a construction crew about 50 yards from DuBeau's truck when it was hit by the plane and caught on fire.

This photo provided by the U.S. Marines shows Lance Cpl. Anthony T. DuBeau. The Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma DuBeau, 23, died Wednesday, March 11, 2015 from injuries he suffered after a T-59 Hawk crash-landed. According to the Marine Corps, DuBeau was hurt when the aircraft "impacted a government vehicle." The pilot and passenger on the T-59 were examined at a hospital and released. (AP Photo/U.S. Marines)

Lance Cpl. Anthony T. DuBeau

Photo Credit: Marine Corps via AP

"When the aircraft crashed, everyone's immediate reaction was just to get down, naturally," Ferguson told Marine Corps Times. "I noticed that a truck was still rolling backwards and on fire."

× Fear of missing out? Sign up for the Marine Corps Times Daily News Roundup to receive the top Marine Corps stories every afternoon. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Marine Corps Times Daily News Roundup.

Ferguson was already running toward the truck when his staff noncommissioned officer yelled out for someone to check to see if anyone was inside the burning vehicle.

As soon as he got to the truck, Ferguson said he peered inside and saw DuBeau in the driver’s seat . It was immediately apparent that DuBeau was suffering from a serious head wound.

The situation was potentially catastrophic. The truck was being engulfed by flames and an MK-76 training bomb had been sheared off the plane and lodged in the vehicle, according to Ferguson's award citation. As the fire spread, the chances grew that the bomb's pyrotechnic signal charge could ignite.

But at the time, Ferguson said he was so focused on getting DuBeau to safety that he didn’t have time to worry about the truck exploding .

"In hindsight, that should have been a concern I had," Ferguson said.

FILE - This March 11, 2015 file photo shows a crashed vehicle sits alongside one of the taxiways following a T-59 Hawk aircraft crash at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz. In a report released Wednesday, May 25, 2016, federal investigators blame the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the pilot and operator of a privately-owned military jet for the death of a Marine killed last year when the jet crashed into his truck in Arizona. (Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP, File) MANDATORY CREDIT

A crashed vehicle sits alongside a runway where a T-59 Hawk aircraft crashed at Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz., in March 2015. Lance Cpl. Anthony DuBeau, who was in the truck at the time, was killed in the accident.

Photo Credit: Randy Hoeft/The Yuma Sun via AP

The flames were shooting up between 3 and 5 feet, Ferguson said. While he felt the fire and the heat, he was still able to lean inside the truck to try to free DuBeau.

"The only difficulty was getting him out of the truck because … the truck was a little beat up so the door was kind of hard to get open," Ferguson said. "I just put more force into it and was able to get it open."

After struggling to free DuBeau from his seatbelt, Ferguson said he pulled him out, being careful not aggravate the lance corporal's head injury .

He carried DuBeau about 10 meters from the truck and laid him on the ground to give him first aid, but the fire kept raging. With the danger that the pyrotechnic signal charge could ignite, Ferguson was ordered to move further away from the vehicle, his citation says.

"He then single-handedly picked up the Marine and carried him another 30 meters to safety," the citation says. "By his courageous and prompt actions in the face of great personal risk, Corporal Ferguson reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service."

Ferguson, who received his award on Monday from Lt. Col. Leonel Brito, his squadron's commanding officer, said he appreciates being recognized for his actions, but he was trying to save a fellow Marine that day — not earn a medal.

"I wish I could have done more and I wish that Marine could have still been with us today," he said.