Purple Heart is awarded some 50 years later

Brother of slain soldier gets medal with Crapo’s help

TWIN FALLS — James Berkley and his wife watched his brother die in the Korean War in a newsreel at the Roxy Theater in August 1950.

Now the Twin Falls couple have received the Purple Heart award more than 50 years later.

Often in the early 1950s, scenes from the Korean War were captured on newsreels and shown during the intermissions at movies. The news stories shown were generally quite current, and often they included close-up footage of combat.

The Berkleys were watching the short film when James saw his younger brother, Marine Pvt. Patrick J. Berkley.

“It showed their full faces, and I said, ́Therés little Pat,́ ” James Berkley remembered.

“We recognized him immediately,” Norma Berkley said.

But the reel then showed the Marine battalion collapsing from enemy fire.

“Right there, the machine guns opened up and we saw him fall right on his face,” James said.

The telegram sent from the War Department to inform the family of Patrick Berkleýs death did not arrive until the following day.

James Berkley had no way of knowing that his 20-year-old brother had been killed near Chan Gallon on Aug. 13, 1950.

The Berkleyś experience resurfaced this year in another form following a Twin Falls ceremony to unveil the U.S. Postal Servicés Purple Heart stamp.

U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo of Idaho learned that the family was still waiting to receive the Purple Heart medal on behalf of Patrick Berkley.

With his assistance, the medal has since been given to the family.

“It is such an honor to be able to assist families like the Berkleys. We can never do enough to praise and honor our veterans, and Patrick is no exception,” Crapo said.

James Berkley said the 50-plus-year wait was worth it, and he proudly displays the encased medal on his living room wall.

The Berkleys say they cannot remember the movie they went to watch that day at the Roxy.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Story.asp?ID=54958

The Idaho Statesman,  Edition Date: 11-29-2003

Edition Date: 11-29-2003