T/5 Donald C. Berry was born in 1924 in Burnham, Maine. The son of farmers, he graduated high school in 1942 as a star athlete in football and basketball winning state in 1942.
Enlisting in the Army in 1944, Berry would find himself in the 76th Infantry Division. Berry served in the 304th IR’s 1st Bn. HQ Company, known as the “Red Battalion'' as a part of the HQ and Communications platoon.
The 304th finally found itself in combat on the 22nd of January in Belgium, with 1st Bn HQ establishing a CP in Herborn on January 25th. Throughout January and February, his company would find itself fighting in Luxembourg and Germany with the A&P platoon taking the brunt of the attacks.
March of ‘45 brought even more intense combat, with artillery barrages becoming more frequent, especially in the battles for the Moselle River which would take place during the 11th through 13th of March. In the town of Monzel the HQ and Communications platoon, which Pfc. Berry was a part of, fortunately took only a single direct mortar round.
On April 17th the Regiment would end up meeting the Soviets at Almittweida, and on May 8th Allied forces would celebrate VE Day!
Berry served on occupation duty with the 1st ID’s 26th IR, and would spend time stationed in Nuremburg during the trials. He would also re-enlist in 1946 with the 2nd Armored Division for a short while.
After the war he would return home, selling building materials, owning a restaurant, and being an active commander in his local VFW. He passed away in 2017.
