Hagerstown military veteran to participate in National Memorial Day Parade
Roy W. Berry, of Hagerstown, will be in one of the largest groups of veterans in the National Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 27, beginning at 2 p.m. on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Roy W. Berry, a U.S. Army veteran, served in Operation Desert Storm with Company B, 44th Signal Battalion, 7th Signal Brigade. He was the Extension Node Platoon Sergeant during the deployment. Berry, now 67 years old, was 35 when deployed to Desert Shield/Storm.
Berry's unit was mainly in Saudi Arabia from January until May 1991, supporting POW camps, U.S. Army field hospitals, the 7th Army command and many Kuwaiti civil engineering groups.
Berry said, "The loss of life during war time is especially sad, military people sacrifice life for causes we support. Families, friends and comrades are impacted for the rest of their lives because of this. Memorial Day is a time to remember, honor and acknowledge how much that person means to us. Participating in the Washington D.C. parade is a small way to appreciate all of those who gave all."
Berry served in the Army 20 years, retiring as a Sergeant First Class E-7.
On Memorial Day, hundreds of veterans who served during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 will be in the nation’s Capital to honor those who have died during their military service. The parade, produced by the American Veterans Center, will be broadcast live.
Less than one mile from the parade route is the land where the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial will be constructed. Projected completion and dedication of the memorial is fall 2025.
Cee Freeman, vice president of the National Desert Storm Memorial Association, said, “During Operation Desert Storm, I served with the finest fighting force ever assembled. Thirty-three years later, I am honored to be in the official reviewing stand on Memorial Day to witness their commitment, honor and veneration for the men and women who died while serving.“
In 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Within 24 hours, Iraq's military occupied its southern neighbor with the intent of further advancing into Saudi Arabia. President George H.W. Bush would successfully lead a coalition of dozens of nations in the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, a campaign known as Operation Desert Storm.
For more information on the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, go to www.ndswm.org.
More: Memorial Day events in the local Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia area
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown veteran to participate in National Memorial Day Parade
