My Dad, My Hero

My Father, Major Francis A. Bernius enlisted in the US army Air Corp in January 1942, a month after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He had a young wife of only two years, Married September 12, 1940. He went to war to protect her, his Mother and his Sister and their way of Life. (My Mother and Father were Married 65 years)

When I was growing up, he never spoke of war, he never considered himself a hero, he would simply say, ‘Son, It was my Duty.’

After I was grown, he finally told me his story. He flew B-17s out of Fogie, Italy and bombed Vienna, the Poe Valley and Berlin. New pilots flew a brand new bomber into the war zone, and then it was taken away from them, and they were given planes that had been shot to hell, because green pilots were lost at a rate of one in three. Why lose a new plane.

He flew all 25 Missions, and the extra secret mission all were required to fly (if the live that long). The secret mission was flown at night, at tree top level, very dangerous for a heavy bomber, that’s why it was last, so they had the experience to pull it off, and because their tour of duty was over, they were expendable.

I asked him one time if he was ever scared. He said, yes, before I took off and after I landed, but during the mission, I was too busy to be scared, you just don’t have time for fear, I had too much to deal with. I have learned this is so, in my own life.

His plane was the ‘Adventurous,’ the last mission it flew, when Dad had landed , he said as he got out, that the ground was cold, this seemed strange, so he looked down, and noticed he could see his toes, as he wiggled them. Seems his flight boot and sock had been blown off from flak, he had been so busy trying to get the crippled plane home, he failed to notice, as he was admiring his toes, and the fact they were untouched, he heard the Maintenance Chief say to the lineman, “Pull the tires off of this one, it ain’t going up no more.” ‘Thus the end of the ‘Adventurous.’ Because he had managed to get the blown to hell plane home, he was awarded a new one. He said he never really became attached to the new like he was with the Adventurous. He had gotten it home (the Fogie base) with most of the tail gone on two engines, and one of those was spitting and sputtering. (The B-17 was a four engine heavy bomber). During his entire tour, he kept the same crew, and never lost a man.

I asked him, why did you go into the Air Corp, expecting a lofty answer. He looked at me and asked… “Do you want a lofty answer? Are do you want the truth?’ I said, I think I’m old enough for the truth. His replied, “The truth is, I didn’t mind giving my life for my country, but I didn’t see why I should have to walk to get there.”

After the war, he stayed in the reserves and reached the rank of Major. After sixteen years, they ask him to give up his commission, so it could awarded to another because they were short of Officers for the Viet Nam war, and thought he too old to serve. He gave up his military pension for the war effort, with only four years to go.

He may never have ever considered himself a hero, but he was sure as hell mine.

I Salute the United States Ari Force, and my Father… Major Francis A. Bernius and all the men who served with him. May the Lord have Mercy on their souls.

I salute all the men who served in all branches of our military, and I will fight to the death, that their time, efforts and lives will NOT have been spent in vain. May God Bless you all.

Gary Bernius