Gerrit, 85, died May 18, 2003, in Martinez, California. He was born November 12, 1917, in Bowman, North Dakota. Gerrit was a Methodist and drafted into Civilian Public Service out of Sebastopol, California, in 1942. His occupation at that time was listed as being a farmer.

He was assigned to Camp 21 in Cascade Locks, Oregon, before going to Camp 103 to be trained as a smokejumper. Gerrit was one of the 10 jumpers assigned to the new base in Region 6 at Cave Junction, Oregon. That group made 12 fire jumps on five fires that season. From there he went to Camp 27 in Tallahassee, Florida, to work on public health and hookworm elimination before being discharged in 1944.