MEN and WOMEN IN SERVICE
Robert J. Berger has been promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. He is on duty with the Eighth army air force in England. He is a tail gunner on a Flying Fortress. Sergeant Berger is a son of Mrs. Mina Berger, 2812 Summit Street. He is a graduate of Central High School.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, April 23, 1944
Sioux Cityan Is Aid to Naval Invasion Chief Admiral Kirk
Lieut. Comdr. L. Berger Praises Soldiers and Sailors
By Park Rispalje
“Plenty of first class guts,” is the way Lieut. Comdr. Luther Berger described the most important equipment of the soldiers and sailors who landed on the shores of France in the face of enemy fire on D-Day. And he should know because he was aid too Admiral A. G. Kirk, commander of all the American Naval Forces in the invasion of France and was on the flagship Augusta, which led the host vessels that carried the fighting forces to the shores of continental Europe.
Comdr. Berger is here on leave; having arrived from England by airplane accompanied by his brother, Robert Berger, recently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after completing 35 missions over Europe. Both fighters are sons of Mrs. Mina Berger, 2812 Summit Street.
“The courage and stamina displayed by the invading fighters is unbelievable and beyond description,” Comdr. Berger said, “and the American people at home must be very proud of them. There are no better fighters in the world.”
WAS ON YORKTOWN
Comdr. Berger has been in the service since 1938 and won his naval aviation wings at Pensacola, Florida in 1939. He was attached to carriers for three years in the Pacific and the Atlantic. He was assigned to the Yorktown at the time that carriers was torpedoed and when he returned could not land on the disabled carrier and was forced to land on a different carrier.
Prior to the invasion he was transferred to serve as aid to Admiral Kirk and was with the admiral on the U.S.S. Augusta which, incidentally, was the ship upon which the Atlantic charter was signed by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill.
He has had experience with the “Buzz” bombs that have been hitting England so heavily in the last few months and said that the determined attitude of the Britons and the morale of the people in face of the terrifying robot bomb attacks is inspiring.
He is a graduate of the Storm Lake High School and had four years at Iowa State College and later attended the University of Southern California. While there he was awarded his appointment as naval cadet for that district. He received his preliminary elimination training at Long Beach airbase and then was transferred to Pensacola where he won his naval pilot wings.
On his blouse he wears the ribbons denoting Asiatic, Pacific, American and European service, has three stars denoting participation in that many major engagements. He has earned the Navy Cross and was a member of a unit that won a presidential unit citation.
Comdr. Berger stated that many members of the crew of the Yorktown were killed by the concussion caused when the depth bombs on a destroyer which was sunk about the same time the Yorktown was torpedoed, exploded. The men were swimming in the water awaiting rescue. Those who were floating on their backs on the surface of the sea were not injured when the depth bombs let go but those who were treading water and swimming low in the water were crushed by the concussion.
He was to leave Sioux City today and report at Washington for reassignment.
Source: The Sioux City Journal-Tribune, August 20, 1944 (photo included)
