Scholarship honors the life of Morton Hero, James O. Vernon

MORTON - James O. Vernon, 81, of Morton passed away on Monday, February 8, 2021, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

He was born on October 25, 1939, in Peoria, Ill., to Herbert and Wilma (Potts) Vernon. He married Hanna Droell on April 26, 1966, in Germany. Surviving are his wife, Hanna Vernon of Morton; son, Paul (Julie) Vernon of Cincinnati, Ohio; four grandchildren, Emma, Elizabeth, Ryan and Jack; sister, Lydia (Russell) Vernon-Jones of Amhurst, Mass.; brother, Rex (Bonny) Vernon of Memphis, Tenn.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one infant son, both parents and one sister, Julia. James was a four-year U.S. Army veteran. He served in Germany and, afterward, he worked for U.S. Government in Berlin, Germany. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1967, and then worked for Caterpillar Tractor, Inc., retiring in 2001 after 41 years. James enjoyed playing golf and chess and volunteered at the Morton grade schools. In 2018, he was an honored recipient of the Carnegie Medal. James was a member of Morton Community United Church of Christ.

In October of 2015, James became a hero as he intervened between a knife-wielding man and a room full of children at the Morton Public Library. The Army Veteran and retiree was teaching a chess class when a 19-year-old man entered the room with two knives, shouting, “I’m going to kill some people!”

The following story was written and used by the Red Cross, Peoria, IL, in a presentation to Jim Vernon, bestowing him with the Michel McCord Award for Hometown Heroes…

When he was in the Army more than 50 years ago, James Vernon received two days of training on how to fight off knife-wielding attackers. Thankfully, he never had to apply this instruction while he served...but it did come in handy last fall at the Morton Public Library.
The retired 75-year-old was teaching chess to a group of 16 children and their mothers on October 13 when 19-year-old Dustin Brown, gripping hunting knives in both hands, careened into the room where they were assembled and verbally threatened to harm everyone. "When he burst into the room yelling, my first thought that it was an off-the-wall Halloween prank," recalled Vernon. "But I soon realized the knives were real and he was serious."
Placing himself between the attacker and the children, Vernon tried to diffuse the situation. "I already had one overexcited person in the room so I set a deliberate demeanor," he said. "I lowered my voice, slowed my movements and calmly asked questions of him. I told him I'd listen to him while these kids got out of the room." Picking up on James' verbal clues, another adult in the room shepherded the children to safety. That's when the situation escalated.
Dustin came at James with the knives. But James had quickly studied his opponent while the two had talked. "I knew he was right-handed, because he had been whittling small cuts on his left arm during our conversation. So I knew which hand to watch." Sure enough, Brown slashed from the right towards Vernon, who blocked the blade with his left hand. Despite being injured, Vernon was able to wrestle Brown into a prone position across a large table, at which point he began striking him. After repeated blows to the collarbone, Brown eventually dropped both knives. A library employee removed the weapons and helped keep Dustin pinned until police officers and paramedics arrived.
Vernon's quick thinking left him with two severed arteries and a tendon on his left hand. Despite his injuries, he knows it could have been worse. "What if that young man had brought a firearm?" he queried. "It would’ve been a different story. We don't want to be another Columbine. I was glad to save our community the notoriety and the sorrow of such an event."
Vernon's brave actions garnered him gratitude at both local and national levels. In addition to countless letters and cards, the city council, Rotary, school board and library presented him with honors and certificates of appreciation. He also had multiple national media outlets cover the encounter.
Sandy Rassi, the coordinator of the chess club and mother of three of the children that were there that day, is quick to praise James. "I'm incredibly thankful for Jim ...he is definitely a hero," she stated. "He was a leader who stood up and put himself in a position where he could have really been hurt. He kept the attention on himself so that the kids could get out of there safely and I am truly grateful."
With his love for the game and his inspiration to share it with others, James is pleased that the chess club has picked up seven or eight new members since the incident. "Luckily, we're going to be able to move on from this," he stated. Despite his arm being bandaged, the club met the week following the incident. "After all," he grinned, "you only need one hand to play the game."

Jim was also given the Citizen Honors Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in 2016. The Vernons were flown to Washington DC for him to receive it the award, which was a great honor. “Whether they happen in a single instance of bravery or through continued service to others, acts of courage and self-sacrifice symbolize the American spirit—and are recognized every year by our nation’s greatest heroes, the Medal of Honor Recipients, through the Citizen Honors Awards.”

In October of 2021, Jim’s wife, Hanna Vernon, established this scholarship to honor the memory of her late husband. This is the 3rd endowment fund Hanna has established at the Morton Community Foundation. The other two are: The Ilse Droell Memorial Women’s Medical Career Scholarship and the James and Hanna Vernon Family Advised Fund.

In October of 2021, Jim’s wife, Hanna Vernon, established this scholarship to honor the memory of her late husband. This is the 3rd endowment fund Hanna has established at the Morton Community Foundation. The other two are: The Ilse Droell Memorial Women’s Medical Career Scholarship and the James and Hanna Vernon Family Advised Fund.

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