VETERAN'S STORY
Charles J. Berry

       Charles J. Berry joined the US Marine Corps from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1941, a few months after he had graduated from high school. After recruit training on Parris Island in South Carolina, Berry was stationed first at the Marine Barracks in Quantico, Virginia, but soon after was moved to New River (now Camp Lejeune) in North Carolina. It was in North Carolina that Berry trained to be a parachutist, and, once he finished training, was promoted to a Private First Class. After these assignments, Berry was sent with the 1st Parachute Battalion to the Solomon Islands. While there, he fought at Vella La Vella, Bougainville, and Guadalcanal. Berry returned to US and was stationed at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California. He was attached to the 5th Marine Division before being transferred, with his new division, to the Hawaiian Islands, to prepare for the attack on Iwo Jima. It was here that Berry was raised to the rank of Corporal (Cpl.). Berry arrived at Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, the day that the invasion began.

      Less than a month after arriving, on the night of March 3rd, Cpl. Berry was manning a machine gun with the rest of his crew from the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, located on the front lines. All were alert and ready in case the Japanese forces decided to attempt a surprise attack at night. Near midnight, the Japanese did just that, and Cpl. Berry found himself in a hand grenade duel, returning each Japanese grenade thrown with deadly accuracy. One grenade did slip past Berry's defense into the fox hole, where he and several other men had taken cover. Preferring to save the lives of his comrades, Berry threw himself upon the grenade, taking the full force of the explosion. The men with him were protected from the blast by his body and so only received minor injuries. For these actions, Cpl. Berry was awarded the Medal of Honor.

       Berry was also awarded the Purple Heart, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Defense Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ two bronze stars, and the WWII Victory Medal.

         A bridge in Lorain, Ohio, Berry's hometown, was renamed for him in 1988.

 

Sources Consulted:

Army Website, Medal of Honor Recipients, WWII

US Marine Corps, History Division

The Hall of Valor Project, Awards

Soldiers profile
Berry cj usmc
Charles J. Berry
World War II
Lorain
Ohio
07/10/1923
03/03/1945
US Marine Corps
KIA
Pacific Theater (WWII)
Iwo Jima, Japan
Corporal
1945, 1944, 1943, 1942, 1941
Natalie Michaelis
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