Lorain Medal of Honor recipient honored on anniversary of his death

LORAIN — On the anniversary of his death at the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, veterans and citizens honored the life of local veteran Charles Berry. Berry was a native of Lorain and graduated from Clearview High School in 1941. A few months after graduation, he joined the Marines. In February 1945, Berry landed in Iwo Jima. Less than two weeks later, he was killed in action. Seventy-five years later, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley announced March 3 to be Charles Berry Day in Lorain. Bradley said he was reminded during a City Council meeting Monday how Berry and other veterans have made it possible for citizens to speak freely. "Thank you to Charles Berry and thank you to all of you veterans who made it possible for citizens in this country to be able to get up and be able to say that they need to say and do what they need to do as citizens," Bradley said. "If it wasn't for Charles Berry and the great men who served our country, we might be speaking German today or we might be speaking Japanese. But thanks to all of you and your service, we are a free country, we are a great country, and I thank you all for your service." Local decorated veteran Sam Felton read off Berry's bio. Berry received multiple posthumous awards for his service, including the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. On March 3, 1945, Japanese soldiers launched a surprise attack. When they launched a grenade into the foxhole, Berry dived on the grenade to save his fellow soldiers at the expense of his own life. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman. The Erie Avenue Bridge in Lorain was renamed the Charles Berry Bascule Bridge in 1988, in honor of Berry and his service. County Commissioners Sharon Sweda and Lori Kokoski also read a proclamation that honored Berry for his service. "In regard to Corporal Charles Berry, we often hear the word courage. and I think that so many times until a moment like this, we take the word courage for granted," Sweda said. "Courage to do something small, courage to be strong in small light. But I think that today's a day to reflect on the courage it takes to enlist in the armed services. The courage that it takes to show up and to serve. The courage for somebody like Corporal Charles J. Berry, when he saw a live grenade that in a split second he decided to save others and not himself." Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com. Follow her on Twitter @MissLainaMae.