Two World War II Veterans Honored as Grand Marshals of Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival

Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival has named Corp. Benjamin Berry, 100, and PFC Jacob Ruser, 98, as Grand Marshals of the 2023 parade.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA, September 28, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Two World War II Veterans Honored as Grand Marshals of Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival

Corporal Benjamin Berry and PFC Jacob Ruser Served Courageously

in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge

Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival is proud to honor two local veterans who each served in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Corporal Benjamin Berry, 100 years old, and PFC Jacob Ruser, 98 years old, have been named Grand Marshals of the 2023 Philadelphia Veterans Parade & Festival. Both are members of American Legion Post 405 and Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Delaware Valley Chapter at the Chapel of the 4 Chaplains. Of the 16.5 million men and women who served in the war, only about 240,000 are still living, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of the 16.5 million, more than 900,000, or less than ten percent, are Black.

Corporal Benjamin Berry of the 3rd US Army (ETO) Quartermaster Corps served from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. He landed in Normandy on Omaha Beach on D+22, on July 28, 1944. Corporal Barry served through France and into Belgium and Luxemburg for the Battle of the Bulge. He served in Germany to liberate the Dachau Concentration Camp. Born on September 16, 1923 Benjamin Berry grew up in Willow Grove in Montgomery County. Drafted at 19, Berry served in the 863rd Quartermaster Fumigation and Bath Company, where Black servicemen transported supplies and operated facilities for white soldiers when they returned from battle. At the conclusion of the war in Europe, Corporal Berry and his unit were ordered to Japan to support another war. The unit was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean when the War in Japan ended. Corporal Berry married Lois Miller Graves shortly after being discharged. The couple raised four children in Germantown, PA. Corporal Berry has received numerous honors and accolades including Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame and Knight of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Grand Marshall Berry currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.

Private First Class Jacob J. Ruser served as a combat medic in the Second Battalion, medical detachment of the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. PFC Ruser landed in Normandy with his unit at Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944, as a combat medic. PFC Ruser, along with fellow medics, are credited for saving hundreds of lives during the deadly assault. His duty was to treat and evacuate the wounded as fast as possible to get them to a hospital where they could get full medical treatment. When needed, he treated each casualty with respect and courtesy. PFC Ruser served in the Battle of Hurtgen Forest from September to December of 1944, during one of the bloodiest battles during World War II. He has explained on numerous occasions how, during the battle, the Americans and Germans would call a truce to gather their dead. PFC Ruser has received numerous accolades, including the Combat Medical Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, The Chevalier-French Legion of Honor Medal, and the Normandy Jubilee of Liberty Medal. PFC Ruser served in the military for 26 months and continued his service as a Department of Defense civilian for 32 more years.

“The Grand Marshal of the Philadelphia Veterans Parade and Festival is a veteran who answered the call to service and continues to inspire others while contributing to their community and, most importantly, helping other veterans,” says Anthony Murphy, President of the Philadelphia Veterans Parade. “Corporal Berry and PFC Ruser continue to inspire and lead by example. We are honored to have these men as Grand Marshals of the parade and festival and to share and honor their stories of service and bravery.”

Photos: Grand Marshal Benjamin Berry and Grand Marshall Jake Ruser

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About Philadelphia Veteran’s Parade

Founded in 2014, Philadelphia Veterans Parade is a non-profit with the mission of promoting, managing, and conducting an annual parade that honors the sacrifices of our Veterans in the tri-state region. The organization is run by a volunteer Board of Directors, Members and organizing committee. For more information on Philadelphia Veterans Parade, please visit http://www.phillyveteransparade.org/

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