Memorial

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2nd Lt Gerald R. Berner attended 1 year of college before he volunteered for the US Army in Detroit, Michigan on 7 April 1942.

1st Lt Richard S. Macauley:
In regards to the other five men who were in the rear of the ship, I have no definite knowledge of them. Our electrical system and radio were knocked out by the first pass of the enemy fighters. Both Lt Berner and myself tried to notify the crew to bail out, by radio, and with the emergency alarm bell. However I never actually saw any of the men except Lt Reagan and Lt Kramer. The ship was very badly hit, and on fire, and the men in question were either killed by enemy fire, or overcome by the fire in the airplane, or both, to the best of my knowledge. Lt Berner was injured and he ordered the crew to bail out. The engineer was dead, so I left the cockpit. Immediately after I bailed out the ship was hit again. Last contact or conversation just prior to or at time of loss of plane and I believe that Lt Berner was killed with that pass, because he never left the ship, and I positive identification of that fact, later, on the ground. The last that I heard from him was his order to leave the airplane.