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Subject: obit: BERGER, WILLIAM A. JR.
Date: 12 May 2004 12:25:30 -0600

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Daily Independent newspaper Ridgecrest CA Kern County
March 14, 2004

WILLIAM "BILL" A. BERGER, JR. 1921-2004

William "Bill" A. Berger Jr., Lt. USN Ret., of Camarillo passed away Feb. 11, 2004 of complications from a stroke. He was 82.
Visitation with the family was held at Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Camarillo on Marc. 13. Interment will be at Riverside National Cemetery.
Mr. Berger was born May 30, 1921 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to William and Helen Berger. He graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, N.Y., in 1938. He attended Queens College and worked for IBM before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1940. He saw combat in WWII aboard the USS Gleaves, USS Remy, and USS Callaghan. He survived the sinking of the USS Callaghan during a a Japanese Kamikaze attack on July 29, 1945. The Callaghan was the last U.S. destroyer sunk during WWII.
He continued his Naval career after the war, serving on the destroyers USS Buckley and USS Norfolk, as well as aircraft carriers USS Coral Sea and USS Ticonderoga.
He served at the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. and at the boston Naval Ship Yard. He served as a chief fire contril technician, and was promoted to chief warrant gunnery officer, then received a commission as a lieutenant, serving as a weapons officer. He retired from the Navy in 1967 as the Talos missile officer at the Nagal Weapons Station, Yorktown, Va. He cherished his time spent in the Navy and loved to tell the stories of his many acquaintances, experiences and accomplishments.
In 1968 he accepted a position as an engineering technician at what was then the Naval Ship Weapons systems Engineering Station, Port Hueneme and moved his family to Ventura. He served in the Talos and Vertical Launce system missile program at Port Hueneme until his civil service retirement in 1983.
In 1977 he and his wife Elanor moved to Leisure Village in Camarillo. during 1977 and 1978 he earned both an A.A. and an A.S. from Ventura College. After retirement he spent his time traveling with Eleanor and whenever possible, going to ship reunions to reminisce with former shipmates.
He was a member of the Military Officers Association of america, the Fleet Reserve Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Association of Destroyer Veterans (Tin Can Sailors), and the Callaghan Survivors' Association.
"His family, firends and shipmates will miss him greatly. Special thanks to Jackie and her wonderful staff at Mom's Place for their kind and compassionate care of both Dad and family."
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in his name to the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation or the Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association at 1996 Eastman Ave., Suite 101, Ventura Ca 93003.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Eleanor, sister Betty Ondris of Flordia (sic) daughers Mary Lou Naylor of Camarillo and Tricia Siegel of Ridgecrest, sons Bill of Ventura and Terence of Colorado Springs, Colo., granddaughter Wendy Naylor of Athens, Ga., grandsons Will of Ventura and Andrew of Colorado Springs, Colo., and very special cousins, nieces and nephews.
"Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile....can respond with a good deal of pride and satification, 'I served in the United States Navy,'" President John F. Kennedy, 1963, Annapolis, Md.

Second obit also appears in the News Review newspaper March 10, 2004. Copy available upon request.

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