DLA San Joaquin employee recognized as Carnegie Hero

TRACY, Calif. -

A Defense Logistics Agency Distribution San Joaquin, California employee has been awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal for an act of heroism in which he put his own life in danger while attempting to save the lives of others.

Stanley Becerra III, distribution process worker, DLA San Joaquin, California Distribution Expeditionary Team, received the medal Oct. 1, 2024, for his courageous actions in October 2023. The medal was accompanied by a letter of congratulations from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The medal was awarded by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, whose mission is to recognize and support individuals who perform acts of heroism in the United States and Canada. Candidates for the award must be civilians who voluntarily risk their own lives or physical safety while attempting to save someone else's life.

On Oct. 10, 2023, at approximately 1:30 pm, Bacerra was heading to work with three fellow DLA San Joaquin, California employees through the small town of Vernalis. As they crossed a bridge over the San Joaquin River, they spotted a man running down an embankment toward a vehicle that was submerged in the river about 50 feet from the riverbank. Once across the bridge, Bacerra's vehicle made a U-turn and the group headed back toward the man to offer assistance.

"I honestly don't know why," Becerra said of the group's decision to backtrack to the scene. "We just decided to turn around and go back."

The man they saw running, a local dairy worker, had just moments earlier witnessed the submerged vehicle enter the water and he stopped to assist the two occupants - a woman and her five-year-old daughter. Bacerra, who was an avid swimmer when he was younger, was quick to jump in to assist.

"I think that I'm probably a better swimmer than the average person," Becerra said. "I was the first one out of the car and I just ran all the way there."

By the time Becerra made it into the river's edge, the dairy worker had already swum out in the cold, fast-moving water and was struggling to bring the mother and child toward the shore.

Becerra then entered the water and swam out about 45 feet to assist with the rescue efforts. Unfortunately, the other man soon succumbed to the current.

"He gave them a push and then he went under," Becerra recalled of his fellow rescuer's final moments.

Bacerra took hold of the woman and her daughter but struggled in the current to move them closer to the shore. Unable to swim with both victims simultaneously, he lost his grip on the mother but successfully brought the daughter to land, where she was carried to safety by others.

While Becerra was catching his breath, other bystanders searched from the bank for the mother, who had been washed further downstream. Once she was spotted, Becerra ran about 25 feet toward her before reentering the water and swimming out to rescue her. He was able to pull her to the shore, where she was administered CPR until emergency personnel arrived and transported her to a nearby hospital.

While the young girl was able to recover without injury, her mother remained in the intensive care unit for six days until she ultimately passed from her injuries.

"It takes a person with remarkable valor to do what you did: risk your own life in an attempt to save fellow citizens," Newsom wrote in his letter to Becerra. "Your act of service is a testament to your bravery, selflessness, and dedication to your community."

Becerra first learned in April that he had been nominated for the Carnegie Medal while deployed in Florida for hurricane relief training. The news of his recognition came as a surprise to him, as well as to his coworkers, some of whom had never heard of his rescue efforts months earlier.

"He only mentioned it to us while we were in Miami," said Amie Padilla, supervisor, DLA San Joaquin Distribution, California Expeditionary Team. "It really amazed me. To me, he's a hero."

While Padilla was shocked to learn the details of Becerra's actions at the river, she was not caught off guard by his willingness to help others. The deployable team is often called upon to assist the various other areas of the installation, Padilla explained, and Becerra is known to make a positive impression wherever he's working.

"Stanley is a hard worker everywhere he goes," Padilla said. "After he helps out in another area, they always ask for him to come back."

Others who work with Becerra were less surprised to learn of his actions the year prior.

"When I heard about Stanley Becerra's heroic efforts, it was not a surprise," said Jason Middleton, team supervisor, DLA San Joaquin Distribution Expeditionary Team. "A great young man with a great work ethic, Stanley is always willing to lend a helping hand to his coworkers on the DLA Expeditionary Team."

"He's humble. That's just the kind of person he is," explained Becerra's stepfather, Tino Hernandez, general supply specialist (instructor), DLA San Joaquin. "When I heard what he had done, it didn't surprise me, but it did scare me. I get a little emotional just talking about it, because he could have died, but it truly is a testament of his character. I'm super proud."

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