1969 Fort Bragg Surgeons Letter Newsletter, VW 40

Folder 1, 1969 Fort Bragg Surgeon's Letter Newsletter, VW 40, Vietnam War Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.

The collection is composed of one original 33-page newsletter issue entitled Surgeon's Letter, dated August 1, 1969. This was the medical newsletter issued by the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon at the John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg, NC, for unit commanders and medical personnel for the U.S. Army Special Forces (Airborne) during the Vietnam War. The newsletter issue conveyed information of technical and administrative interest to medical service personnel. It was sent to all Special Forces Groups numbered 1-10, the 46th Special Forces Company in Thailand, and the special forces units at Fort Bragg. The information features submitted articles on topics such as "melioidosis persists as problem to troops in Vietnam." This particular newsletter issue was owned by Michael J. Berry, who served as a Team Medic for Detachment A-429, 5th Special Forces Group, at Camp Ba Xoai in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. Berry was stationed at Fort Bragg in 1969 when the newsletter was issued.

None

Michael J. Berry attended U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) training at Fort Bragg, NC, from 1968 to 1969. He was then assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, in 1969. Berry would be assigned to overseas service with the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. In Vietnam, Berry was a Special Forces Medical Specialist (91B) assigned to Detachment A-412 at Camp Ba Xoai in the Seven Mountains area on the Cambodian border, IV Corps Tactical Zone, Chau Duc Province from December 1969 to September 1970. He also served at the B Team level at Chi Lang on occasion. Berry arrived as a Sergeant, and was the Assistant Team Medic; later was promoted to Staff Sergeant, assuming duties as the Team Senior Medic. He participated in a number of offensive combat operations, withstood a major attack by a 48-man North Vietnamese sapper battalion, and saw mortar harassing attacks on an almost daily basis. Michael Berry was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, the Bronze Star (with Oakleaf Cluster), and the Army Commendation Medal for Valor ("V" Device) for is service with the 5th Special Forces Group.

The item was deposited with the Military Collection at the State Archives of North Carolina by a private donor in 2019, with the donation completed in March 2021.