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Charles Joseph Berry was born in Lorain, Ohio on 10 July 1923. He graduated from Clearview High School in 1941, before going to work as a truck driver.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps at Cleveland, Ohio on 1 October 1941, and received his recruit training at Parris Island, S.C.. Afterward he was transferred to the Marine Barracks
at Quantico, Va., and then the Marine Barracks, New River, N.C where he entered parachute training. After qualifying as a parachutist, he was promoted to private first class on 02 June 1942.
He sailed from San Diego, Cal. for New Caledonia on 11 March 1943. With the 1st Parachute Battalion, he left New Caledonia in September 1943 and arrived in the Solomon Islands and
then to Vella La Vella. In November 1943, he landed at Bougainville, and during that campaign took part in the raid at Koairi Beach and in the Empress Augusta Bay action. Prior to
returning to the United States in February 1944, he spent a short time at Guadalcanal. Arriving at Camp Elliott, San Diego, he joined the newly organized 5th marine Division in
early 1944. In July he departed for the Hawaiian Islands with that division and advanced to corporal.
He landed on Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945 and was killed in action on 3 March 1945. While serving with a machine gun crew with the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division,
Corporal Berry won the Medal of Honor when he chose to sacrifice himself to save his fellow Marines by diving on an enemy grenade that had landed in their foxhole. Initially buried
in the 5th Marine Division Cemetery on Iwo Jima, he was reinterred in Elmwood Cemetery, Lorain, Ohio in 1948.
USS Charles Berry (DE 1035) (1959-1974) was the first ship named in his honor. (Photo from the USMC History Division) |
Mike Smolinski
Clifton, N.J.
Navsource DE/FF/LCS
Archive Manager |
0602103506 |
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undated: Charles Berry passing Point Loma departing San Diego for sea. |
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date / location unknown |
Calvin Raymond
Lcdr., USN (ret.) |
0638706 |
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December 1968: Pearl Harbor Hawaii - Vance tied up outboard of
Charles Berry (DE 1035) and Forster (DER 334).
(Photo © Richard Leonhardt) |
Richard Leonhardt
Bethlehem, Pa. |
0633405 |
87k |
January 1969: Pearl Harbor - USS Forster (DER 334) makes her approach to moor
alongside Charles Berry and USS Vance (DER 387).
(Photo © Richard Leonhardt) |
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undated, near the mouth of San Diego Harbor.
(Photo © Marine Photos and Publishing Co., San Diego, Cal.) |
Nick Tiberio
Shelton, Conn. |
0602103504 |
34k |
date / location unknown |
Bob Hurst
Worksop, Nottinghamshire,
England, United Kingdom |
0602103505 |
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date / location unknown, as the Indonesian Martadinata (DE-342) |
