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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Two World War II veterans, one black and one white, who met decades later and developed a deep friendship, are now supporting a museum and helping to build a local monument. They are embarking on a new battle to promote construction.
Two hometown heroes walked CBS News Philadelphia ACES Veterans Museum Located in Germantown.
we met Retired Corporal Benjamin Berry the day before last year his 100th birthday.
Berry insisted on meeting his dear friend, retired Pfc. Jake Loser.
Today they sit together. D-day Poppy commemorative pin. Both men served in the U.S. Army.
“I was drafted in 1943,” Berry said. “Uncle Sam asked me, he told me, we need you, we want you.”
CBS News Philadelphia
“I was drafted,” Loser said. “I received a message saying, “Thank you for your report.”
They both made sacrifices but were treated differently because of their race.
Roussel, a Conshohocken native, was assigned as a medic.
Berry of Willow Grove was assigned to Quartermaster. He was also unarmed.
“We had rifles,” Berry said. “We didn’t have any ammunition.”
By 1944, nearly all black GIs were assigned to service units supporting white soldiers. Their jobs included cooking, washing, and digging ditches. Berry’s men were then called to join the front line. battle of the bulgecounterattacking German attacks in the Ardennes region between Belgium and Luxembourg.
Roussel also risked his life to care for the wounded.
“Instead of leaving seriously injured people there, we go out and pick them up and bring them back for treatment,” Looser said.
Berry was one of more than 2,500 black soldiers who fought alongside white soldiers against German leader Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive campaign on the Western Front.
Almost 80 years later, the two have become close friends as members of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Battle of the Bulge Association. Now they are fighting a new battle, starting with supporting museums like ACES and promoting the construction of local World War II memorials.
“We’ve been trying for the past 20 years and we still haven’t achieved it,” Loser said.
As the only two remaining members, they grow close and even celebrate Loser’s 99th birthday together.
They wonder who will continue to share their stories of triumph, sacrifice, and friendship.
“Jake and I came together as brothers as other guys won glory,” Berry said.
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