Bernard was inducted at age 23 on April 7, 1941 into the US Army. He was stationed at Fort Jackson South Carolina when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942. At the time he was assigned to a service company on base.
His experience in WWII took him to the European Theater of Operations. Bernard was part of the 29th Infantry Division also known as The Blue and Gray Division. This division was in combat for 242 days. It participated in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.
Bernard was a platoon leader and also a liaison officer to the Belgian Army.
He credits his experience in WWII to his belief that it made him a better man and was an excellent lesson in responsibility.
Bernard’s belief that it made him a better man is an almost universal feeling of WWII veterans that I have met. That may be just one of the reasons for the title “Greatest Generation,” that has been bestowed on this generation.
Bernard was discharged as a 1st Lieutenant on November 8, 1945.
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