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name
BERNARDI, Reno - Date of
birth
27 December 1916 -
Age
28 - Place of
birth
Nokomis, Montgomery County, Illinois -
Hometown
Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-1012128 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Tank Commander -
Unit
D Company,
771st Tank Battalion
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 January 1945 - Place of
death
Near Beho, Ardennes, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| F | 11 | 2 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Primo G. Bernardi (father)
Candida (Leone) Bernardi (mother)
Helen Bernardi (sister)
Mabel Bernardi (sister)
Irene Bernardi Richardson (sister)
More information
Reno Bernardi attended college and was a miner.He enlisted in Chicago, Illinois on 21 July 1941.
Reno Bernardi, two other officers and an enlisted man were sent on reconnaissance in a C&R (larger than a Jeep). An 88 artillery shell exploded and killed Lt Bernardi. The other three men were wounded. A friend of Lt Bernardi came to see Helen Bertoni (Reno's older sister) and told her that he too had a tank command, and he and Reno were given the option of going through the forest or on the clearing. It is our understanding that the two tank commanders tossed a coin and the winner, Lt Bernardi got to go through the forest. The other tank was to go out in the open. The forest would have given more cover, but not from an 88 shell.
He was first buried in a temporary grave at Henri-Chapelle on 25 January 1945. He was disinterred on 18 November 1947 and his remains were prepared and placed in a casket on 2 February 1947. He was given his final resting place on 15 October 1948.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Jac Engels, Susan Richardson, National Archives, ABMC, National Archives, Find A Grave, www.newspapers.com - The Decatur Herald, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Susan Richardson