Did you hear about the elderly Veteran who saved the lives of 16 children from a knife attack?

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 21:26:17 -0400

Still Army Strong at 75, supporting and defending! :)

Sixteen children and a handful of their mothers found the only door to their library room blocked by a man who held hunting knives in each hand as he screamed, “I’m going to kill some people!”
Dustin Brown, 19, specifically wanted to kill children Tuesday at Morton Public Library, he said after the would-be victims escaped safely.
Had he brought a firearm instead, “It would’ve been a different story,” James Vernon said Thursday.
Blood was shed, but mostly Vernon’s, because the retired chess club teacher kept his cool, gave his class an avenue of flight and remembered the knife-fight training the Army gave him five decades ago.
Vernon, 75, won his “90 seconds of combat” with Brown, “but I felt like I lost the war,” he chuckled. He cut two arteries and a tendon on Vernon’s left hand as Vernon blocked Brown’s knife swipe.
“I failed my mission to kill everyone,” Brown told police, according to a prosecutor’s court affidavit that accompanied formal charges Thursday that included attempted murder.
Brown, of 300 Fernwood St., said he’d been planning to kill people and then himself for two weeks, the affidavit stated. With two knives in his backpack, their handles wrapped in tape for better grip, he entered the library at about 3:25 p.m.
The roomful of children enjoying a home school chess club meeting drew his focus and anger, he said. Brown, free on bond while facing prosecution charges of possessing child pornography, said he wanted the children to die.
Vernon, who retired in 2002 from his information technology career at Caterpillar Inc., is recovering at his Morton home from surgery for his wounds.
He recalled Thursday how he thwarted Brown’s alleged plans for mass murder and suicide.
“He actually ran into the room yelling, ‘I’m going to kill some people!’ He was holding two knives” that Vernon described as “hunting types” with “fixed blades about 5 inches” long.
The children, ages 7 to 13, scurried under tables in the library’s Hauter Conference Room as Vernon stood before Brown.
“I tried to talk to him. I tried to settle him down,” he said. “I didn’t, but I did deflect his attention” from the children “and calmed him a bit. I asked him if he was from Morton, did he go to high school. I asked what his problem was. He said his life sucks. That’s a quote.”
As Vernon spoke, he stepped closer to Brown. “He backed away when I’d get closer.” With a few steps, Vernon put himself between Brown and the room’s door, with the children under the tables behind him.
“I gave them the cue to get the heck out of there, and, boy, they did that! Quick, like rabbits,” Vernon said.
“There were no more potential victims in the room. He focused on me. There was no more talking,” but Vernon watched what Brown did with his knives and learned.
“I knew he was right-handed. He was whittling on his left arm” with the one in that hand, “making small cuts. He was trying to scare me, and he did.” But if Brown attacked, “I knew which hand it was coming from.”
Brown slashed from the right towards Vernon, who blocked the blade with his left hand. “I should have hit his wrist. That’s how you’re trained, but it’s been half a century,” he said.
“First rule of combat: Be fast and vigorous,” said Vernon, who was trained but never served in combat. Vernon’s medium build was enough to overcome his smaller attacker.
“I grabbed him and threw ... Somehow he wound up on a table” with the knife in his left hand pinned under his body, Vernon said. “I hit him on the (right) collarbone with my closed hand” until Brown, his arm numbed by the blows, dropped that knife.
Vernon, “bleeding pretty good,” held him until a library employee arrived to remove the knives and help keep Brown pinned until police officers and paramedics arrived.
Brown was ordered held on $800,000 bond pending a Nov. 5 court appearance on charges of attempted murder, armed violence, aggravated battery to a person over age 60 and burglary for entering the library with intent to commit a crime.
He’s also due in court Monday on the 22 child pornography charges filed against him in March.

Elderly vet saves 16 children from knife attack

Sixteen children and a handful of their mothers found the only door to their library room blocked by a man who held hunting knives in each hand as he

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2015 9:46 PM

1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 21:46:49 -0400

Awesome job. Where do these assholes keep coming from?

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 16 at 2015 9:47 PM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 21:47:05 -0400

Thanks for sharing

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Oct 16 at 2015 10:38 PM

SFC Mark Merino — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 22:38:27 -0400

This one is for a great post AND James Vernon! Hard Core Army Strong.

Response by MAJ Matthew Arnold made Oct 17 at 2015 2:35 AM

MAJ Matthew Arnold — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 02:35:46 -0400

OK, were are the calls for more knife control?

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 17 at 2015 2:40 AM

Capt Seid Waddell — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 02:40:08 -0400

Too bad the vet wasn't carrying.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 17 at 2015 1:03 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 13:03:29 -0400

Yes MSgt Curtis Ellis I read about the incident this morning. James Vernon kept his cool and deliberately moved closer to knife-wielding 18 year old Dustin Brown and signaled for the sixteen children who were part of his high school chess club aged 7 to 13 to escape and they scurried out the door.
James Vernon was able to remember enough of his hand-to-hand combat training from 50 years ago to have a pretty good idea how to disarm the attacker. I am very thankful the attacker did not have a rifle or pistol.
CPT L S thanks for the heads up :-)

Response by 1SG James A. "Bud" Parker made Oct 17 at 2015 1:15 PM

1SG James A. "Bud" Parker — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 13:15:06 -0400

Kudos to the ex-soldier who won the day! I'm only surprised the Democrats have not raised the banter for "Sharp Object Control" much as their "Gun Control" mantra.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2015 9:50 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 09:50:13 -0400

MSgt Curtis Ellis We have seen recently many accounts of seniors standing up to attackers, muggers, .... They are still teaching us to be brave and stand up for what is right. Thank you for posting this.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2015 10:09 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 10:09:33 -0400

CSM Michael J. Uhlig this is another example of why his generation is considered the "Greatest Generation"! There is just a huge sense of patriotism and dedication to the people of the United States that is instilled in that generation. It also shows how we never stop being a Soldier, no matter how many years you have been retired. He may not want this label, but he is a true hero. I wish there was a way to bottle up the passion of that generation and pass it on to future generations.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2015 10:34 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 10:34:30 -0400

Hi, CSM Uhlig.

Of course. A warrior assaults the danger, and protects the weak.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Oct 18 at 2015 11:44 AM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:44:59 -0400

He did what we are all trained to do, God Bless him! The best part, no child was injured.

Response by SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres made Oct 18 at 2015 12:19 PM

SGT Jose Perdelia-Torres — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:19:05 -0400

I would have done the same thing. For good men to do nothing, is far more evil than what this man was attempting...

Response by SSG Thomas Gallegos made Oct 18 at 2015 12:27 PM

SSG Thomas Gallegos — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:27:27 -0400

Atta'boy Sir, way to go Mr. Vernon

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Oct 18 at 2015 12:42 PM

Capt Richard I P. — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:42:45 -0400

Badass.

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Oct 18 at 2015 12:59 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 12:59:09 -0400

It just goes to show that mass violence isn't about guns - it's about disturbed people...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 18 at 2015 1:47 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:47:41 -0400

Hoaahhh!!!!!!!!!!! You can't substitute bravery and quick thinking.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 19 at 2015 5:58 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 17:58:57 -0400

I was always told that you need to get the knife but you will get cut, unless you are a highly trained fighter.

Response by PO3 Sherry Thornburg made Oct 20 at 2015 12:55 AM

PO3 Sherry Thornburg — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 00:55:54 -0400

Yes, fast thinking and great memory for military training.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 12:59 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 00:59:53 -0400

It's awesome. I'm proud that he is one of the good guys and stepped up to do what's right!