RICHMOND, Va. –
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Corey-Allen Becker says when he is required to physically be in the office one day a week, his morning routine is action-packed, but he tries to make as little noise as possible, so he doesn’t wake up his wife and two toddlers.
“I usually wake up around 0530 to shower, shave, put on my uniform, walk the dog, pack my lunch, and sneak out of the house through the garage,” Becker said.
But the morning of Apr. 4 would prove to be anything but routine for Becker, an ordnance weapon systems support manager within Defense Logistics Agency Aviation’s Customer Operations Directorate’s Marine Corps Customer Facing Division.
As Becker was driving from his house in Chesterfield County, Virginia to his office on Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, he said a utility truck in front of him veered off the road, hit a guard rail and rolled over multiple times. The truck came to rest on its side in oncoming traffic.
Becker said he immediately stopped his vehicle safely off the side of the road and called 911 for help. When Becker saw smoke and smelled gas coming from the engine of the truck, he knew he had to act.
“My adrenaline definitely kicked in and I decided that a fire was a real possibility.” Becker said.
Becker and another person who had also stopped for the accident were able to free the driver from the truck and move them to safety. It was at that time another accident happened because of the first accident. A sport utility vehicle had slammed into a motorcycle, throwing the rider approximately 30 feet. Becker raced to the scene, stabilizing the rider until emergency workers arrived and took over treatment of both injured persons.
Virginia State Police have confirmed the two accidents and Becker's account of events.
Becker was awarded the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his actions that day. The award is presented to a service member who has performed either an exceedingly heroic act, exceptional achievement, or commendable service that has not been recognized by a higher award. He received the award during a ceremony in the DLA Aviation Operations Center (Bldg. 46) on DSCR Aug. 30.
“Personally, I do not feel like a hero. I’d like to think that if someone else would have been first to witness the accident, they would have acted the same way I did and made sure the people involved with those two accidents got the help they needed and they were ok,” Becker said.