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Charles Berry, 2003

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Korean War, 1950-1953
  • Branch of Service: Army
  • Service Unit/Ship: 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
  • Location of Service: Vietnam; Hawaii; Japan; China; Philippines; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); France; Germany; Korea
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/5950

View full service history

"I am an American. And when I go home [from Korea], I can't even sit and eat where I want to. Can't ride the bus. Can't get a job I'm qualified [for]. Then what the hell am I fighting for?" (Video Interview, Part 2, 22:03)

Through 22 years in service and three wars--in occupied Japan, in Korea at the Chosin Reservoir, and in Vietnam around the time of the Tet Offensive-Charles Berry saw incremental racial progress. He began with a segregated unit that developed its own esprit de corps in competition with white soldiers, was falsely arrested by a white MP who was later dismissed from the service, and encountered prejudice in Germany when he married a local woman. But his persistence paid off: He was rewarded with a long-delayed promotion and earned the respect of a troubled unit whose morale and performance he turned around.

Interview / Recording

More Resources

Interview / Recording

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • Charles Earnest Berry Collection

Names

  • Berry, Charles Earnest
  • Willie, Michael Lloyd
  • Bowen, Sarah
  • WRCB-TV Channel 3

State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation

  • Washington (State)

Headings

  • -  Berry, Charles Earnest
  • -  Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Army.

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • Black or African American

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Korean War, 1950-1953

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Location of Service: Korea
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Location of Service: Vietnam
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Army
    • Service Unit/Ship: 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
    • Location of Service: Hawaii; Japan; China; Philippines; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); France; Germany
    • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
    • Dates of Service: 1946-1968
    • Entrance into Service: Drafted
    • Military Status: veteran

Materials

  • Audio: CD [3 items] -- Reference copy (collected 2003-02-13; 2003)
  • Video: Betacam SP [3 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-02-13)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/5950

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Berry, Charles Earnest, Michael Lloyd Willie, Sarah Bowen, and Wrcb-Tv Channel 3. Charles Earnest Berry Collection. 1946. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05950/.

APA citation style:

Berry, C. E., Willie, M. L., Bowen, S. & Wrcb-Tv Channel 3. (1946) Charles Earnest Berry Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05950/.

MLA citation style:

Berry, Charles Earnest, et al. Charles Earnest Berry Collection. 1946. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.05950/>.