Bernard Ambrose Ferry, USMA '64 Posted by George Jacunski on October 24, 2007:
I don't know how Bernie and I first got together. We were not in the same company, but somehow we recognized that we were kindred spirits, and many a time during Plebe year he would show up in my first floor company clerk room and we would get out the guitars and sing ribald ballads to the great entertainment of plebes and passing upperclassmen alike. This served me in great stead later in Vietnam when I would play and sing the same songs for beer in the E1, E2, and E3 Club at Pleiku (you might recall that all new enlisted soldiers arrived in country as E3's, but you would be surprised how many failed to retain that exalted rank due to in-country derelictions, hence the E1, E2 & E3 Club). Bernie and I were together on our first assignment in Hawaii and later deployed to RVN together with the separate 3d Bde, 25th Inf Div. Bernie's exploits continued in both locals. Two of those I will mention here. I didn't witness this episode, but can attest it received wide publicity around the Division. Engineer training took place in Hawaii's East Range, and it was verboten to drive ones POV to the training area. It was also a long walk from the designated parking area and Bernie, of course, probably being late for training, one day drove into the prohibited training area. Sometime later while driving an armored engineer vehicle, he drove over his own car!
In Vietnam,about half way through our tour I was out in the field one day when a frantic radio message came through in code indicating all radio frequencies and codes had to be changed immediately. It appears that someone had dropped his frequency/code book (I think we called it the SOI) out of a helicopter. You guessed it, Bernie Ferry. Despite these events which gave him a larger-than-life persona, Bernie was a fine and well respected Engineer officer, and one inclined to help a classmate in need. I arrived in Vietnam as a weapons platoon leader and as such was soon required to dig in my mortar battery for perimeter defense. Having arrived by air with nothing more in the way of extra equipment than entrenching tools this appeared to be a daunting task. Then I thought of Bernie and the next day his engineer platoon showed up in our company area replete with organic vehicles. Soon I had my mortars dug in and a subterranean fire direction center that would accommodate my entire platoon and was the envy of the brigade. It was really cool. And I mean cool and it was constantly used to beat the heat of the Central Highlands. It was so well done that it became a required stop for VIP's visiting the brigade and even Westy used it to deliver his pep talks to the troops when in the area!
Tony Janairo. I knew Bernie both in Paris, and certainly at West Point. I am including a eulogy from a West Point classmate of ours, Bill Murphy.
- Bernie and I were in I-2 our first two years. He was a kindred spirit and loved practical jokes. He was small in stature and had a very deep Bass voice. One time we were walking to class and were stopped by an upperclassman from another 2nd Regiment Company. He asked us our names. Bernie replied "My name is Mr Ferry Sir". The Cow said that Bernie looked like a Fairy. Bernie then told the guy that he was an A__H___. Initially I was aghast but then started laughing as did Bernie. The guy blew his top. Luckily the time for the class was drawing near and we escaped the ire of the Cow. Bernie had a lot of guts and did not let anyone get the upper hand on him. He was gifted in academics and often helped his fellow classmates who were struggling with their courses. As far as I know he was the first guy in our class to have a car. He got it the Fall of our Plebe Year and kept it down in Highland Falls. He, Ken Sprague, Ed Sims, Lou Jerge, and I used to go down to a bar in the Falls for a few beers after TAPS. None of us ever got caught. Met quite a few classmates during our midnight escapades who also liked to flaunt the rules. Never forget our first Christmas. It was a tradition in I-2 that the Plebes would put on a skit for the upper classmen before they departed on leave. Our skit was about the 1st Christmas and was quite irreverent. Bernie played the role of the baby and wore a white towel which was supposed to be a diaper. Dan Levin played the role of Mary. I was a shepherd whose job was to stand and hold a window pole up in the air. The pole was supposed to be a lightning rod in case a bolt would descend upon us due to the content of the play. Luckily we did not get zapped. Everyone in attendance laughed quite a bit and we ! plebes w ere a hit with the upperclassmen. The next morning the upperclassmen were in for a shock. During the night Bernie and several other plebes locked all the upper classmen's doors in the company. They had talked the Barracks Janitor into giving them a key. At reveille the only upperclassmen who were in attendance at the formation were those who had rooms on the first floor who could exit their rooms via the windows. The report went in that I-2 had many missing. It was great! Luckily for us the upperclassmen left that day on leave. We wondered for the next ten days what was going to happen to us upon their return. During our last two years we were in different companies in the 2nd Regiment. We still kept up our friendship and I enjoyed my time with him. Bernie was commissioned into the Engineers due to his high academic standing. I understand that he did well and still was wont to play a few practical jokes. He was great guy. May he rest in peace.
Phil Davidson (1960)
Bernard Ambrose Ferry, USMA '64Posted by George Jacunski on October 24, 2007:
I don't know how Bernie and I first got together. We were not in the same company, but somehow we recognized that we were kindred spirits, and many a time during Plebe year he would show up in my first floor company clerk room and we would get out the guitars and sing ribald ballads to the great entertainment of plebes and passing upperclassmen alike. This served me in great stead later in Vietnam when I would play and sing the same songs for beer in the E1, E2, and E3 Club at Pleiku (you might recall that all new enlisted soldiers arrived in country as E3's, but you would be surprised how many failed to retain that exalted rank due to in-country derelictions, hence the E1, E2 & E3 Club). Bernie and I were together on our first assignment in Hawaii and later deployed to RVN together with the separate 3d Bde, 25th Inf Div. Bernie's exploits continued in both locals. Two of those I will mention here. I didn't witness this episode, but can attest it received wide publicity around the Division. Engineer training took place in Hawaii's East Range, and it was verboten to drive ones POV to the training area. It was also a long walk from the designated parking area and Bernie, of course, probably being late for training, one day drove into the prohibited training area. Sometime later while driving an armored engineer vehicle, he drove over his own car!
In Vietnam,about half way through our tour I was out in the field one day when a frantic radio message came through in code indicating all radio frequencies and codes had to be changed immediately. It appears that someone had dropped his frequency/code book (I think we called it the SOI) out of a helicopter. You guessed it, Bernie Ferry. Despite these events which gave him a larger-than-life persona, Bernie was a fine and well respected Engineer officer, and one inclined to help a classmate in need. I arrived in Vietnam as a weapons platoon leader and as such was soon required to dig in my mortar battery for perimeter defense. Having arrived by air with nothing more in the way of extra equipment than entrenching tools this appeared to be a daunting task. Then I thought of Bernie and the next day his engineer platoon showed up in our company area replete with organic vehicles. Soon I had my mortars dug in and a subterranean fire direction center that would accommodate my entire platoon and was the envy of the brigade. It was really cool. And I mean cool and it was constantly used to beat the heat of the Central Highlands. It was so well done that it became a required stop for VIP's visiting the brigade and even Westy used it to deliver his pep talks to the troops when in the area!
Bernie was one of the great ones.
Previous Eulog
Antonio R Janairo (1959)
Tony Janairo. I knew Bernie both in Paris, and certainly at West Point. I am including a eulogy from a West Point classmate of ours, Bill Murphy.-
Bernie and I were in I-2 our first two years. He was a kindred spirit
and loved practical jokes. He was small in stature and had a very
deep Bass voice. One time we were walking to class and were stopped
by an upperclassman from another 2nd Regiment Company. He asked us
our names. Bernie replied "My name is Mr Ferry Sir". The Cow said
that Bernie looked like a Fairy. Bernie then told the guy that he was
an A__H___. Initially I was aghast but then started laughing as did
Bernie. The guy blew his top. Luckily the time for the class was
drawing near and we escaped the ire of the Cow. Bernie had a lot of
guts and did not let anyone get the upper hand on him.
He was gifted in academics and often helped his fellow classmates who
were struggling with their courses.
As far as I know he was the first guy in our class to have a car. He
got it the Fall of our Plebe Year and kept it down in Highland Falls.
He, Ken Sprague, Ed Sims, Lou Jerge, and I used to go down to a bar
in the Falls for a few beers after TAPS. None of us ever got caught.
Met quite a few classmates during our midnight escapades who also
liked to flaunt the rules.
Never forget our first Christmas. It was a tradition in I-2 that the
Plebes would put on a skit for the upper classmen before they
departed on leave. Our skit was about the 1st Christmas and was quite
irreverent. Bernie played the role of the baby and wore a white towel
which was supposed to be a diaper. Dan Levin played the role of Mary.
I was a shepherd whose job was to stand and hold a window pole up in
the air. The pole was supposed to be a lightning rod in case a bolt
would descend upon us due to the content of the play. Luckily we did
not get zapped. Everyone in attendance laughed quite a bit and we !
plebes w ere a hit with the upperclassmen.
The next morning the upperclassmen were in for a shock. During the
night Bernie and several other plebes locked all the upper classmen's
doors in the company. They had talked the Barracks Janitor into
giving them a key. At reveille the only upperclassmen who were in
attendance at the formation were those who had rooms on the first
floor who could exit their rooms via the windows. The report went in
that I-2 had many missing. It was great! Luckily for us the
upperclassmen left that day on leave. We wondered for the next ten
days what was going to happen to us upon their return.
During our last two years we were in different companies in the 2nd
Regiment. We still kept up our friendship and I enjoyed my time with him.
Bernie was commissioned into the Engineers due to his high academic
standing. I understand that he did well and still was wont to play a
few practical jokes.
He was great guy. May he rest in peace.
Barry McCaffrey (1960)
Bernie was a classmate at West Point. Extremely intelligent. A gifted student. Brialliant engineer.
NOT one to bother with the petty rules of the institution!
A lot of fun ---and a very effective combat officer.
Rest in peace.
Barry McCaffrey