Hank Bergman Hyman " Hank " Bergman ( March 12 , 1919 – June 1 , 2010 ) of Baltimore , Maryland , was a U . S . Army combat veteran of World War II , who while serving with the " Blue Devils " of the 88th Infantry Division was awarded the Silver Star ( Medal ) for single - handedly destroying a German machine - gun nest , while under enemy fire . Pre - World War II years . Bergman was born in Baltimore , Maryland , and grew up at 1543 North Appleton Street in the same neighborhood as professional boxer Jack Portney , film actor Steve Wayne ( real name : Norman Weinberger ) , and Steve ' s brother Don Wayne . According to a 1945 article in the " Baltimore Evening Sun " , while in high school ( P . S . # 91 ) , Bergman lettered in baseball and football , but was more known for his baseball pitching abilities . He earned the nickname " Hank " , because Baltimore fans said he reminded them of major league baseball star Hank Greenberg . With Bergman pitching , his high school baseball team from P . S . # 91 , defeated P . S . # 115 to win the Baltimore City Championship in 1934 . He was also a member of Baltimore ' s " Easterwood Boys " , a youth group associated with Easterwood Park . In 1936 , Bergman played in the 1936 PAL Newspost American Softball Tournament . After graduating from Baltimore City College ( High School ) in 1938 , Bergman worked for the Crown Cork and Seal Company and played semi - professional softball for teams sponsored by the Coca - Cola Company . Also , Bergman joined the Civilian Conservation Corps ( CC ) and worked on clearing swamps and building roads and highways . He also competed as an amateur lightweight boxer ; compiling an undefeated record of 9 – 0 - 0 ( 9 knockouts ) which included a bout with Tony LaPonte . Bergman received an honorable discharge from the Civilian Conservation Corps . Later , Bergman worked as an aircraft riveter at the Glenn L . Martin Company , prior to entering the United States military . World War II service . Bergman was inducted into the United States Army on March 19 , 1943 . He completed his basic training at Fort Meade , Maryland . His military occupational specialty and number was : Rifleman 745 . On August 20 , 1943 , Bergman was shipped overseas to the European Theater of Operations . He served with the 3rd Infantry Division ( made famous by Medal of Honor recipient , Audie Murphy ) , the 30th Infantry Division , and the " Blue Devils " of the 88th Infantry Division . In Audie Murphy ' s autobiography , " To Hell and Back " , Murphy mentions a soldier named Bergman , but it ' s unclear if he meant Hyman Bergman . As an infantry sergeant , Bergman was in fierce combat in Africa , Europe , and the Middle East . His campaigns and battles included Naples - Foggia , Rome - Arno ( January 22 to September 9 , 1944 ) , North Appennines ( September 10 , 1944 to April 4 , 1945 ) , and Po Valley ( April 5 to May 8 , 1945 ) . Bergman fought at Furcoli against the German 8th Mountain Division , Volterra against the German ' s 90th Panzer Grenadier Division , and at Magnacavallo against the 305th German Infantry ( commanded by Major General Von Schellwitz ) . Also , he saw action at Anzio , Arno River , Bloody Ridge ( Hills 184 and 188 ) , Mount Belvedere | Belvedere , Brenner Pass , Capo d ' Aqua , Cassino , Della Tombe , Furcoli Ridge , Frasinetto , Gothic Line , Hill 497 ( above Furcoli ) , Itri , Monterumici Highway 64 sector , Mt . Alto , Mt . della Salere , Mt . la Fine , Mt . Cerrere , Mt . Passignano , Mt . Rotondo , Palaia , Palermo , Po Valley , Roncolla , Salerno , Sassaleone , Sicily , Volturno River , Verona and Vicenza . Bronze Star Medal . By direction of the President of the United States , under provisions of Executive Order 9419 , February 4 , 1944 ( Sec . II , WD Bul . 3 , 1944 ) , a Bronze Star is awarded to Sergeant ( then Private First Class ) Hyman Bergman , 30th Infantry , for exemplary conduct in ground combat against the armed enemy during the Naples - Foggia Campaign in the Mediterranean . BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY : / t / Alfred E . Bonnwell , Adjutant General . Combat Infantryman Badge . Sgt . Bergman was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge in 1944 , his citation reads : Headquarters Thirtieth Infantry APO # 3 , Special Orders Number 147 , EXTRACT 26 October 1944 : UP WD Cir No . 186 , 1944 , VOCO dates indicated , the following named EM , former members of this organization , are awarded the COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE for exemplary conduct in action against the enemy : Pfc Hyman Bergman , 1 January 1944 by order of Colonel McGarr . Furcoli , Italy . Bergman ' s Company , Company B of the 349th Infantry Regiment , 88th Infantry Division was ordered to attack German army positions on Furcoli Ridge near Forcoli , Italy . The Germans were in caves overlooking a valley and had pinned down the 88th for months during the winter months ( reference : The Blue Devils In Italy , page 195 ) . During the battle to take the ridge , Company B ' s commanding officer Capt . Robert E . Richard of Newark , New Jersey , lost a foot in a minefield ( reference : The Blue Devils in Italy , page 195 ) . It was during this battle that Sgt . Bergman was awarded the Silver Star Medal ( reference : The Blue Devils in Italy , copyright 1947 , page 300 , by John P . Delaney ) . Silver Star Medal . Hank Bergman was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action . His citation reads : June 13 , 1945 , Headquarters 88th Infantry Division , US Army , APO # 88 , General Orders , Number 75 : Award of the Silver Star : Hyman Bergman , Sergeant , ( then private ) , Company " B " , 349th Infantry Regiment . For gallantry in action on April 15 , 1945 , near Furcoli , Italy . Sergeant Bergman displayed outstanding gallantry in attacking German positions while exposed in hostile fire . When Company " B " attacked Furcoli Ridge , the enemy was firmly entrenched in caves . As Sergeant Bergman ' s platoon advanced , the intensity of the fire became so terrific that the platoon was unable to move . Disregarding his own safety , Sergeant Bergman made his way forward alone , hostile fire cutting about him and shells bursting close by . Near the machine gun emplacement , he poured his fire into the dugout , killing one of the enemy , wounding and driving the others away in disorder . By his fearlessness in extreme danger and intrepid leadership , Sergeant BERGMAN destroyed the German machine gun position and enabled his platoon to advance . His gallant action has won the praise of his fellow soldiers and has reflected the fighting traditions of the American infantry soldier . Entered military service from Baltimore , Maryland . BY COMMAND OF GENERAL KENDALL . W . J . Zerger , Major , A . G . D . , Asst . Adj . Gen . , R . J . McBride , Colonel , G . S . C . , Chief of Staff . Po Valley . According to an article by Sargent Marvin Posner , U . S . Army Infantry , who served with the " Blue Devils " of the 88th Infantry Division , and the 10th Mountain Division , Posner was in Italy ' s Po Valley hunkered down in a foxhole while shells and bullets whistled all around ; " Suddenly , someone jumped into the foxhole , finger on the pin of a grenade , and landed on Marvin ' s shoulders . It was Hank Bergman , a member of the Easterwood Boys , friend of the Jackson Club guys and a neighbor . " What the hell are you doing here ? " questioned Hank when he recognized Marvin . Hank had been ordered by his captain to take out a German machine gun nest about 15 yards atop a knob . Still holding the grenade pin , Hank jumped off Marvin ' s shoulders , crawled on his belly and headed for the right flank while Marvin attempted to distract the Germans ' attention . They were fighting for their lives against a superior weapon - the fastest machine gun in the world used by the Germans that could replace an empty barrel in one - fifth of one second just by a flip of the lever . Marvin killed one German manning the machine gun . A loud bang was heard . A grenade thrown by Hank , a former baseball pitcher , destroyed the enemy ' s machine gun nest . " Military medals and awards . Sergeant Bergman was awarded the Silver Star , the Bronze Star , the Combat Infantryman Badge , World War II Victory Medal , European - African - Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Battle Stars , American Campaign Medal , the Good Conduct Medal , Honorable Service Lapel Button , Honorable Discharge Emblem , Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Component Bar , Cold War Recognition Certificate , Division Citation ( not individual ) 349th Infantry Regiment ( 88th Infantry Division ) : Croix de Guerre with Palm , 4 Overseas Service Bar s ( " Hershey " ) , and the Presidential Memorial Certificate . Bergman was a veteran of World War II and the Cold War . Post War years . Hank Bergman ' s place of separation from the service was at Fort Jackson , South Carolina . After he received his Honorable Discharge from the United States Army , he attended college on the G . I . Bill . Following his return to Baltimore , Bergman was approached by the Democratic Party and asked to run for political office . However , he decided to seek a career in education instead . Bergman married his wife Anne , and the couple moved to Miami Beach , Florida , where Hank graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor ' s Degree in Education in 1952 . Later , he earned Masters and Specialist Degrees in Education from Nova Southeastern University . Educational career . Bergman was a 6th grade elementary school teacher for 32 years , and was a 20 - year member of the UTD ( United Teachers of Dade County ) . He taught for two years in the Baltimore , Maryland school system . Bergman ' s career with Miami - Dade County Public Schools lasted for 30 years . He taught two years at Madie Ives Elementary School , and 28 years at Fienberg - Fisher Elementary School ( previously known as Central Beach and Leroy D . Fienberg Elementary School ) . Chess Competition . Hyman Bergman ' s avocation was chess . In the 1960s , he became an avid player and was a 30 year member of the Miami Beach Chess Club ( 2000 Washington Avenue , Miami Beach , Florida ) . In 1967 , Bergman defeated the club ' s top players Maurice Donath , Norman Mendelson , and Samuel Sinclair to earn a match with Anthony Santasiere . On Saturday , May 11 , 1968 , at the Miami Beach Chess Club in Miami Beach , Florida , Bergman defeated Anthony Santasiere ( Billed as " The American Chess Champion " ) in a simultaneous exhibition , with Santasiere playing against 21 opponents . Santasiere , had defeated future world chess champion Bobby Fischer in 1957 . Santasiere scored 12 victories , three draws , four defaults , and lost to Hank Bergman and Irving Lynch . Later Years . From 1972 to 2010 , Bergman trained his son , Sherman Bergman in boxing and kickboxing . The younger Bergman posted a 17 - 4 - 0 ( 17 knockouts ) amateur boxing record , and a 56 - 8 - 1 ( 56 knockouts ) kickboxing record . In 1980 , Bergman wrote an article entitled : It Happened To Me , for Soldier of Fortune Magazine ; recalling his experiences on Furcoli Ridge in which his actions earned him the Silver Star Medal . Hank Bergman lived with his wife and son in retirement in the North Beach section of Miami Beach , Florida , and was active in community service . Bergman became involved with the pop - tab recycling campaign to support the Ronald McDonald House in Miami , Florida . The McDonald House provides comfort , support , and housing to families that have seriously ill children being treated in area hospitals . According to three " Miami Herald " newspaper reports , since 2004 , Bergman personally collected over 25 , 000 pop - tabs to aid the campaign . Death . On June 1 , 2010 , the day after Memorial Day , in Miami , Florida , Hyman " Hank " Bergman died suddenly and unexpectedly while being treated in a local hospital following a brief illness . Bergman ' s funeral service was held on June 7 with full - military honors . His interment was at Lakeside Memorial Park in the Garden of Heroes ( Miami , Florida ) . On October 12 , 2010 , Bergman was issued a Presidential Memorial Certificate signed by the President of the United States of America , Barack Obama . Honored in Miami Beach . Bergman was honored on Tuesday , November 9 , 2010 in a service at his former school , Fienberg - Fisher Elementary in South Beach , Miami Beach . A plaque in his name was dedicated in the school ' s Garden of Heroes , and rests before the World War II Memorial Soldier Statue . Over 400 guests attended including Congresswoman Ileana Ros - Lehtinen , Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega , Assistant Police Chief / and future Chief Raymond Martinez , Principals Shirley Velasco ( Miami Beach Adult and Community Education Center ) , Maria Zabala ( Fienberg - Fisher Elementary School ) , and Rosann Sidener ( Miami Beach Senior High School ) , along with honor guards from the Miami Beach Police Department and the Junior ROTC of Miami Beach High School . Bergman was also remembered in the Miami Herald on Veteran ' s Day , November 11 , 2010 . In November 2011 , the Miami Beach Police Department ' s Honor Guard placed a wreath of flowers at Sgt . Bergman ' s memorial plaque at Fienberg - Fisher Elementary ' s School in a pre - Veteran ' s Day service .