 |
MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Mar '98
ROBERT HAMILTON BERRY * '46 No. 15381 * 5 Mar 1926
- 3 Jul 1996
Died in Sevierville, Tennessee * Inurned in the Fort Bragg Cemetery,
Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
|
Bob was born in Houlton, Maine. His family later
moved to Bangor where Bob attended and graduated from Bangor
High School. He had just entered the University of Maine when
his coveted appointment to West Point arrived to enable him to
join the Class of 1946 on the banks of the Hudson 1 July 1943.
Cadet life presented no problems to Bob. As one
G-1 Company classmate remembered: "What happens when a barely
seventeen Maine lamb is thrown to the ravening upper-class wolves
of G-1 Company? Not much. Bob popped his chest up, ably did whatever
was required, smiled inwardly, and sailed serenely through plebe
year. He handled the academic and tactical departments all three
years with the same effective equanimity."
Roommate Carsh Carlisle recalled the years they
spent together as cadets: "Although Bob was one of the youngest
members of the class, just barely 17, his relative youth was
never a handicap. He seemed to spend minimum time studying and
still ended up as 95 in our class of 875. Though private, he
didn't hesitate to share his thoughts and opinions. He was quite
athletic and eager to serve in a combat arm upon graduation."
Bob did chose a combat arm at graduation; he graduated a second
lieutenant of Infantry.
After graduation leave, Bob joined his Infantry
classmates at Fort Benning, Georgia for the Infantry Officer's
Basic Course followed by jump school. His tour at Benning was
more eventful than most of his classmates as while there he met
and married Helon Burns in Columbus, Georgia on 18 January 1947.
From Benning, Bob, followed by Helon when quarters became available,
was assigned to the 14 Armored Cavalry in Europe. Returning to
the States, the Berry's went to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where
Bob served with the 11th Airborne Division. In 1952, he transferred
to Armor and attended the Armor Advanced Course at Fort Knox,
Kentucky in 1952. His next assignment was to the Far East Command
from 1953 to 1955. Returning to the States, the Berry's traveled
to Connecticut where Bob was Assistant PMS&T at Yale University.
In 1958 Bob was selected to attend the Command and General Staff
College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After graduation in 1959,
Bob and Helon moved to the Caribbean when Bob was assigned to
Headquarters, US Army Caribbean. In 1962, Bob was selected to
attend the University of North Carolina where he received a Masters
in Personnel Administration in 1964. Next Bob commanded the 2nd
Battalion 63rd Armor. In 1965 he was assigned to MACV in Vietnam
and returned to the States in 1966 to attend the Industrial College
of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair, Virginia. This was followed
by a year in the Pentagon in the Office of the Director of Personnel.
In 1969, the Berry's moved to Guatemala where Bob was assigned
to the US Military Group. Bob's final active duty assignment
was back to the Pentagon to serve with the Inspector General
of the Army. He retired in 1975 as a Colonel.
The Berry's moved to Pittsboro, North Carolina
when Bob retired. There he did all the things he had dreamed
about during his active duty years. He and Helon traveled to
all the places they had yet to see. Bob raised cattle and had
an antique business. His hobby was square dancing and he became
a square dance caller in the local area. Bob and Helon were on
a vacation in the summer of 1996 when Bob had a heart attack
and died in Sevierville, Tennessee on 3 July.
He is survived by his wife, Helon and two sons,
Robert, Jr. and Richard, three grandchildren and 2 great grandsons.
Bob was a true son of West Point. He believed in
living the motto, Duty, Honor, Country in every aspect of his
life. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Though
quiet and introspective, Bob had very strong convictions and
had no trouble expressing them when the situation required it.
He always said, "I Did it My Way" and Helon recalled
that he did just that. He never did anything halfway. With his
talent and energy, he always did everything to the best of his
ability.
His family, friends and classmates all have fond
loving memories of a very fine man. The Class of 1946 is proud
to proclaim those words that mean so much to each West Pointer:
"Well Done, Bob; Be Thou At Peace!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife, Helon
|