Omaha veteran reunites with long-lost soldier who saved his life in Vietnam
MORRO BAY, Calif. — Gerrod Britton has always been a hero to friends and family members for his service in the United States Coast Guard.
Plattsmouth native Gerrod Britton delivers a speech after receiving the USO Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10. Family, friends and fellow Coast Guard veterans attended the ceremony.
Earlier this month, though, the Plattsmouth native was recognized as a national hero during a ceremony in Morro Bay, California.
Britton accepted the United Service Organizations (USO) Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10. He received a commemorative plaque with special patches and insignias in front of fellow Coast Guard members in the oceanside ceremony.
Britton said he was humbled to receive the national award. He was surprised when Benjamin Snider, officer in charge of U.S. Coast Guard Station Morro Bay, told him that he had been selected.
“When I found out that I was going to be receiving this award I was completely caught off guard and honored at the same time,” Britton said. “My officer in charge nominated me for the award before I knew anything about it, so a huge thank you to Senior Chief Snider, and of course the USO!”
Britton was traveling on Highway 101 in California in an off-duty capacity on July 5, 2020. He witnessed the vehicle in front of him cross the median and crash into oncoming traffic lanes. Britton steered his own car to the side of the road, contacted emergency dispatchers and decided to help those trapped in the vehicle.
Plattsmouth native Gerrod Britton stands with his USO Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10 in Morro Bay, California. Britton was honored for rescuing three people from a burning car on Highway 101 in July 2020.
The car that was involved in the crash was overturned and resting on its roof with three men trapped inside. Britton was able to remove two of the men and get them to safety. He then returned to the car to help the third man, who was severely injured and trapped underneath the car.
The situation became even more serious when the car caught fire. A second bystander helped Britton lift the vehicle with their bare hands and place the unstable vehicle on its side. This allowed Britton to remove the unconscious man through a broken window. He was able to do this only seconds before the car was completely engulfed in flames.
Britton was able to pull the third man to a safe spot away from the car. He performed CPR and attempted to control bleeding caused by multiple injuries.
Britton said his experiences in the Coast Guard played a big role in his response to the accident.
“When I saw the accident my only thought was to go do whatever I needed to do to help,” Britton said. “In the Coast Guard we train to be constantly ready to save lives, and that mindset doesn’t change just because we aren’t in uniform. The Coast Guard is full of people who would’ve acted exactly as I did in that situation.”
Britton said his upbringing in Plattsmouth also made a difference on that day.
Plattsmouth native Gerrod Britton stands with his USO Coast Guardsman of the Year Award on Dec. 10 in Morro Bay, California. The USO honors one person from each of the six military branches — Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard — each year.
“Growing up in Plattsmouth I always had the strong sense that I was part of a community, a community that was there to help each other in times of need,” Britton said. “Growing up in a small town undoubtedly helped to foster the same core values that the Coast Guard lives by: honor, respect and devotion to duty.”
Britton was one of six people to receive national awards from the USO. Breanna Jessop (Army), Seth Dewey (Marine Corps), Johnnharley Delacruz (Navy), Ryan Daggett (Air Force) and Francisco Javier Luna (National Guard) represented their respective military branches.
A salute to service: A collection of our recent stories about veterans
Catch up on our recent stories about Nebraska vets in honor of Veterans Day.
Walter Coy, one of Nebraska’s oldest living veterans at 103, likely won’t stray far from his Omaha home on Veterans Day. But he remains active. “All I can say is, I kept living. Just kept going.”
On Veterans Day, Marty Ramirez will be at his childhood stomping grounds to unveil the final phase of the Chicano/Mexican-American Veterans Monument honoring Scottsbluff-area Hispanics who served.
At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Vince Orduña confronted the memories of soldiers he knew who died fighting in Southeast Asia, and forgave himself for surviving while they didn’t.
Bob Wiegand served on a ship convoying war supplies to American service members. He bore the risk of sudden attack by kamikaze aircraft or submarine-launched torpedoes. It was dangerous work.
After earning her master’s — specializing in women’s health — Mary Smith was ready to deploy. She got the call in 2008, when she was sent to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, for five months.
The Rev. Suzanne How, pastor of Immanuel State Line Lutheran Church in Wymore, Nebraska, presided over the September services for Cpl. Daegan Page, a Marine from Omaha who was killed in Afghanistan.
Four years ago, 93-year-old Robert Holts, the last surviving member of the Tuskegee Airmen in Nebraska, was grand marshal of the Defenders of Freedom Veterans Day parade. Holts died in February 2021.
Omaha veteran reunites with long-lost soldier who saved his life in Vietnam