Memorial Day Special For Veterans
Last updated Monday, May 28, 2007 5:50 PM CDT in News
By John Henley Jr.
The Morning News
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ROGERS -- Bill Berry came from a military family. His father, grandfather and uncles all served in the Army. All three of his sons also enlisted in the Army.
Berry himself served in the Navy from 1975 to 1979. He served as a hospital corpsman who never saw combat. Still, he said, Memorial Day is very personal for him.
His youngest son, Pvt. Steven Daniel Berry, enlisted in 1997 after he turned 18. He was assigned to an M1A1 Abrams tank. After serving in the Army, Steven Berry wanted to come home to Rogers and open a bicycle shop, Bill Berry said.
Steven Berry was killed on July 19, 1998, while serving in Bosnia. He was riding in a convoy and died as a result of injuries sustained during a vehicle accident.
The sergeant who came to the Berrys' house to notify them of Steven Berry's death had never done a death notification before, Bill Berry said.
"He had tears in his eyes when he came," Bill Berry said. "He felt it with us." Steven Berry is buried in the National Cemetery in Fayetteville.
"He died doing something he was proud to be able to do," Bill Berry said.
Bill Berry and many others gathered at the Rogers City Cemetery on Monday to honor America's soldiers, living and deceased, active and inactive.
The Rogers High School band played; Fred Israel, past commander of the Post, introduced his successor, Allen Moots; and the Post's Northwest Honor Guard presented the 21 gun salute.
* Robert A. Darling served in the U.S. Army, 65th Division from 1944 to 1946.
"I was one of "Patton's Boys," he said.
Darling said Memorial Day brings back old memories of the men that gave their lives.
"War is hell," Darling said.
* Roy Reynolds served in the U.S. Army's Air Corp from 1942 to 1946. Reynolds served in the southwest Pacific, mainly in New Guinea and the Philippines.
"I come here to honor the memories of the men I served with," Reynolds said.
* John Romine also served in the U.S. Army's Air Corp from 1941 to 1945. Romine said he spent a great deal of time on a bomber.
"On our 43rd mission, we were shot down by the Germans and the only one of us who died was a guy who was married," Romine said, adding the whole crew was given a six-day pass before they left for Europe. "Those six days was all the time that soldier had to spend with his new baby."
* Jesse Coker served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945.
"I come here to reflect on the great price that has been paid for the freedoms we enjoy," Coker said.
* Mark Maddox served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1962 to 1969. He served stateside and never made it to Vietnam.
Maddox said Memorial Day, for him, is a time to honor all of America's veterans, those that gave their lives, but also those that came back.
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