While being presented with a medal for his own heroic actions, a University of Nebraska Omaha student praised the actions of others.
Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Valle received the Army Commendation Medal in a ceremony Tuesday for his actions to subdue another student accused of wielding a knife in the university’s library back in May.
After the presentation, Valle thanked the university for offering helpful resources, like counseling, for anyone who needed them after the incident.
“I think that as a community, the individuals being selfless and thinking about others really goes a long way and it really says a lot about whatever school you go to, the area you live in and the people that are around you. And fortunately, being here at UNO and Creighton University, I’ve seen that, seen that through the students, minus one incident that happened, but generally speaking, its warm and welcoming everywhere we’ve been,” Valle said.
Lt. Col. Jared Sutton, a professor of military science at Creighton Army ROTC, shared how he was relieved when he says he heard Valle stopped the suspect.
“When we got the news reports in May saying that there had been a disturbance in the UNO library, I was like, ‘I hope it’s not any of our cadets.’ Of course, it was. I felt a lot better when I knew it was Cadet Valle because I knew he was going to handle the situation and do the things that were necessary to protect himself and protect those around him,” said Lt. Col. Jared Sutton.
University leaders also thanked Valle for actions.
“I want to personally thank you, Cadet Valle, for your courage and your actions back in May as you protected others in a difficult and dangerous situation. But I also want to thank you for your ongoing academic success and service as a member of the Army,” said Chancellor John Christensen.
Christensen also highlighted UNO’s reputation as the No. 1 military friendly university in the nation.
“This thing could have played out very differently. The UNO community is very fortunate that Cadet Valle was there to step up and work quickly to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. The honor being given to him today could not be more merited,” said Associate Vice Chancellor Deb Smith-Howell.
“Cadet Valle is a hero, but you will never hear him say that. Cadet Valle remains a humble individual who insists his act was not heroic, it was just right,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs B.J. Reed.
All the attention was not something Valle expected.
“I wouldn’t have thought so much would have come out of it. It’s something that makes you appreciate the people that are around you, when they see something like that and really pick it apart and show somebody how ordinary people can do heroic actions and take some courage and take some bravery,” Valle said.
He also credited others who helped in the situation, including the woman who went to get security.
