Robert E. Berry (Bob) of Lusby, Maryland, 101, passed away on Monday, February 3, 2020. He was preceded in death by his father Edward P. Berry and his mother Mary S. Sasse and brother Donald Berry and by his beloved wife Mildred in 1989.
He is survived by Linda P. Matthew (Richard), cousin, of Exton, PA, surrogate grandchildren son Jeffrey and son Peter (Jacquelyn) and 4 surrogate great-grandchildren; Talia, Andrew, James, Ryan. He is also survived by his nephew, Lee David Phillips of Newark, Delaware.
Bob was born April 6, 1918 in Wilmington and attended schools through high school. He earned an Associate Degree and certification as a Funeral Home Director. He worked in that field several months in Philadelphia until he was drafted into the Army in 1941.
In January 1943 he attended the Quartermaster Officer Candidate school and graduated as a Graves Registration Officer. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and platoon leader of the 3rd platoon 607th Graves Registration company. In June 1944 the 607th company was sent to England to prepare for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy.
On June 6, 1944 the 3rd platoon landed and began work at a temporary cemetery on Omaha Beach until July 9 they moved their operation to the primary objective now the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. During the next two years the 3rd platoon established and operated cemeteries in various locations in France and adjacent countries.
In January 1946 he was honorably discharged as a Captain. He returned home to Delaware and married Mildred Phillips and resided in Wilmington. In 1949 he was called back to service by the Army due to the Korean Conflict. He became the Commanding Officer of the Central Identification Unit stationed in Japan. He earned the Bronze Star for his work in Japan.
After the end of the conflict, Bob returned to his home in Silver Springs, MD and began work at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC and was promoted to Lt. Col. and retiring from the army in February 1965. He remained at Walter Reed in civilian positions until retiring in 1975.
Bob and Mildred moved to their home in Drum Point to enjoy his retirement. Over the years he became a familiar and beloved member of the Drum Point and Lusby community that he dearly loved.
Bob earned many awards during his army career. Included are: World War II Victory medal, Distinguished Unit Citation, European Theater Campaign Ribbon with Bronze Arrowhead, Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign ribbon, French Croix De Guerre with Palm, and the Bronze Star Medal.
Services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery. Date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations to a veterans charity of your choice, such as the Disabled American Veterans is encouraged.
