First Lieut. Paul N. Berry, Richmond, successfully made his fifth and qualifying jump last week at the parachute school at Fort Benning, Ga. This tactical night jump completed his parachute jump training which lasted the standard four weeks and which included jumping from towers 250 feet high and learning completely the technique of safe parachute jumping and landing. He has earned the right to wear the coveted wings and boots of the U. S. army's most modern soldier. the paratrooper.
[The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT, 01 Dec 1943, Wed, Page 2]

Capt. Paul Berry, UVM Star Athlete, Reported Missing
Unseen Since D-Day; Jumped Over France . With Paratroopers Special to the Free Press

   RICHMOND, . July 27. Capt Paul N. Berry (shown here), for- University of Vermont former football and baseball star, son of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Berry of this town, jumped with his paratroop outfit over France on-June 6, first day of the invasion and has not been heard from since.
Battalion Surgeon
   A graduate of the UVM college of medicine in 1942 and battalion surgeon in the paratroops, he was promoted to captain the day before D-day and his disappearance. A war department telegram to his parents notified Mr. and Mrs. Berry that Capt. Paul Berry "has been reported missing in action since June 6 in France. If further details or other information are received you will be notified promptly."
Star Athlete
   While in college, Capt. Berry played baseball and football, captaining the nine in his senior year. He was a third baseman. On the gridiron, he played a number of spots in the line and backfield.  He. received his bachelor of science ; degree from the university in 1939 and doctor of medicine three years later. Joined Paratroopers
   Four days after completing year's internship in St. Mary's hospital in Brooklyn, N. Y., Capt. Berry was in training at Carlisle barracks, Perm., with other doctors going into service. In Oct., he joined up with the paratroopers jumping with them and finally going overseas as their battalion surgeon.

[The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT, 28 Jul 1944, Fri, Page 2]

Announce Marriage
  Hartwlck--The marriage ol Miss Madeline J. Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. Alonzo Smith of Hartwlck and Dr. Paul N. Berry, ot San Diego, Calif., took place December 15 \n San Diego, The couple Is living at 1101 Lorna Blvd., San Diego, while Dr. Berry is stationed at Mercy Hospital..
[The Oneonta Star. Oneonta, NY, · 27 Dec 1951, Thu, Page 6]

Capt. Paul Berry, Richmond Is Twice Captured by Germans

   Dear Folks, Am now behind the allied lines for the first time since D-1, that explains why you haven't heard from me before. Might explain that I haven't been wounded and am in reasonably good health even though food was scarce on the German side. In all was captured twice by the Germans, the first time late D-day when I carried a wounded boy off the drop zone on my back. Escaped that time after some 20 hours of captivity and hid out behind the German lines for some 7-8 weeks with another wounded para-trooper whom I cared for. Later we joined six English and one American para-trooper and tried to get back through to our lines. Result was that we had a German grenade tossed at us 100 yards from our boys wounding six boys and I was recaptured with the wounded. However, "God" has continually looked out for me and I and two other American Drs. were placed in a hospital in ChaIons, France [sic], caring for Allied wounded. On Aug. 28th, American shells came in one end of the town and the Germans went out the other. We then evacuated our 72 patients, aid men and ourselves. In brief, that is the story, am now at a replacement depot awaiting evacuation to the United Kingdom and possibly the U. S. for the Geneva convention states that an escaped prisoner cannot fight in the same theater. PAUL
   P.S. As regards spearheads, the airborne division was some 25 miles in from the beachhead and the very tip of the spear. As General Eisenhower says in Aug. Readers Digest "he knew and knew that we knew he was sending some of us to certain death." However, you're good until you draw that last breath. I haven't drawn my last one.

[The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT, 28 Jul 1944, Fri, Page 2]

PAUL N. BERRY, M.D. DALTON, Mass. - Dr. Paul N. Berry of 244 Washington Mountain Rd., Dalton, Mass. died on Jan. 13, 1998 in the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington.
   Dr. Berry was a Board Certified physician in the private practice of Obstetrics and Gyne-cology, retiring in 1988.
  Born in Richmond [VT], he was the son of Genevieve Hickey and John Cowan Berry, Jr.
    He graduated from Richmond High School in 1932, Montpelier Seminary and the University of Vermont Medical School in 1942.
   After an internship at St. Mary's Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y., he entered the Army Medical Corps serving as a Battalion Surgeon, para-chuting into France with the 82nd Airborne in the Normandy Invasion. He was twice a Prisoner of War and later was in the Battle of the Bulge in the Roer River Crossing.
   After spending two years recovering from injuries received in a mine explosion he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Prisoner of War and the Presidential Citation awards.
   He served residencies in OBGYN at St Clare's Hospital, Doctor's Hospital, Woman's Hospital and Bellevue Hospital, all in New York City. He was Chief Resident in Gyne-cology at Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Calif. Dr. Berry was married to Madeline Smith of Hartwick, N.Y. in 1951.
   He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Maryellen Roy of Bennington and Madeline Lasley of Salinas, Calif.; two sons, John C. Berry of Worcester, Mass. and Paul N. Berry, Jr., of Venice, Fla. and eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
   Dr. Berry was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Berkshire Hills Country Club and was a communicant of St. Agnes Church, Dalton Mass.
   Burial will be in the Holy Rosary Cemetery, Richmond, in the spring and a Memorial Mass will be held at the convenience of the family.
   In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to the charity of one's choice or the Bennington Rescue Squad, University of Vermont Medical School or St. Agnes Church in Dalton in care of the Haason-Walbridge Funeral Home, P.O. Box 957, Bennington, Vt. 05201.

[The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, VT, 16 Jan 1998, Fri, Page 18]

[courtesy of Barb Destromp]

Grave markers for Paul N. Berry in Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Cemetery, Richmond (Chittenden county), Vermont.

A recent graduate of the University of Vermont College of Medicine (UVM), Paul entered the service on 3 July 1943.

On 30 November 1943, 1st lt. Berry was transferred from the Parachute School, Fort Benning, GA to the Medical Detachment, 508th PIR.

Captain Berry was reported MIA on 6 June 1944. He had been taken prisoner but returned to the 508th on 28 November 1944.

On 10 February 1945, Capt Berry was reported as seriously wounded in action in Belgium and evacuated to a field hospital.

On 9 May 1945, still recuperating, he was transferred to the hospital's Detachment of Patients and did not return to the regiment.

Major Berry was discharged from the Army on 24 December 1946.

On 15 December 1951, he married Madeline J Smith in San Diego, California.