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James Berry [2008]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: Vietnam War, 1961-1975
  • Branch of Service: Navy
  • Unit of Service: LST (Landing Ship Tank) 1048
  • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Pensacola and Key West, Florida; Hawaii; Guam (Mariana Islands); Da Nang, Vietnam; Tennessee; Thailand
  • Highest Rank: Commander
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/67636

View full service history

"When you do something, as our instructors used to say, that an infinitesimal number of people have done, it's quite exhilarating." (Video Interview, 21:15)

Commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Reserves in 1954, James Berry served for one year on an LST in 1956 before deciding "there must be a faster form of transportation." So he signed up for Naval Flight Training and got his wings a year later. Berry became a jet fighter pilot. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, he was based in Key West, where his mission was to intercept unauthorized planes; Russian Migs often challenged their air space. Later, he flew with various fighter squadrons off aircraft carriers. Beginning in 1968 he was based out of Da Nang, Vietnam, flying 50 combat missions. He did go down in enemy territory in August 1969 and received injuries from a parachute entry into trees. Berry retired in 1979 after 25 years of service.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • James Lee Berry Collection

Names

  • Bullock, Warner J.
  • Berry, James Lee
  • Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks

Home State

  • Missouri

Headings

  • -  Berry, James Lee
  • -  Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Navy.

Form

  • DVD

Extent

  • 1 item

Repository

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

Gender

  • Male

Race

  • White

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • Vietnam War, 1961-1975

    • Branch of Service: Navy
    • Unit of Service: LST (Landing Ship Tank) 1048
    • Location of Service: San Diego, California; Pensacola and Key West, Florida; Hawaii; Guam (Mariana Islands); Da Nang, Vietnam; Tennessee; Thailand
    • Highest Rank: Commander
    • Dates of Service: 1955-1979
    • Entrance into Service: Enlisted
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran served as a Navy Fighter Pilot. Veteran was commissioned as an Ensign in the Naval Reserves in Springfield, Missouri in 1954. He served for one year on the LST 1048 in 1956. Then he was selected for Naval Flight Training and got his wings in 1957. Veteran was a jet fighter pilot and flew with various fighter squadrons and aircraft carriers. From 1968-1969, the veteran served in Da Nang, Vietnam. Incident with aircraft being down in enemy country, 8/1969. Veteran went on 50 combat missions. He received disability injuries in a parachute entry into trees. Veteran later served as the Officer in Charge at mechanical schools. In 1979, veteran retired as Commander and returned home to Springfield, Missouri.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2008-04-03; 2008-11-01)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/67636

Cite as

  • James Lee Berry Collection (AFC/2001/001/67636), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

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:

Bullock, Warner J, James Lee Berry, and Air And Military Museum Of The Ozarks. James Lee Berry Collection. 1955. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.67636/.

APA citation style:

Bullock, W. J., Berry, J. L. & Air And Military Museum Of The Ozarks. (1955) James Lee Berry Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.67636/.

MLA citation style:

Bullock, Warner J, James Lee Berry, and Air And Military Museum Of The Ozarks. James Lee Berry Collection. 1955. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.67636/>.