I served from 1986 to 1991 on the USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Barney (DDG 6).

I then went Fleet Marine Force served with 1st Marine through the end of Desert Storm. Navy was really my only choice. I was in college and messed my knee up. The Army and Marines wouldn’t take me and the Air Force had a two-year waiting list, and so I chose the Navy. I started as a Yeoman (officers secretary) and cross-rated to hospital corpsman due to advancement opportunities. And faith would have it that I ended up with the Marine Corps anyway from January 1990 to August 1991. The Marine Corps uses Navy medics, doctors and nurses. Corpsman attends what we call Doc University, which is Marine boot camp. I went to the one at Camp Pendleton, California.

We have had family in every branch since the civil war. I know some stories. My great granddad was sent a letter here in the states and he went and fought for Germany during WW1 and never came back. We had family in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Iraq. I’ve seen pictures from Vietnam with the Russian’s decapitated heads so they could have proof they where fighting them over there.
We had a lot of firefights, which terrified all of us. We were also the first ones in Kuwait City, which was horrifying. I take pills so I don’t have nightmares over what we saw there. The picture shows the Libration of Kuwait Medal, which was awarded to Desert Storm veterans that went into Kuwait. I also received the Southeast Asia campaign ribbon, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and Saudi Arabia Liberation Medal and the combat action ribbon.

The memory that has always stayed with me is when I lost the first Marine. It was the first time I ever broke my word. He asked me to bring him home to his mom and I couldn’t do it. I can still see him and his blood on my hands…

Our government needs to help veterans with PTSD, the suicide epidemic, and not treat us as second-class citizens. We served this country with honor and dedication and our government won’t take care of us. I have rededicated my life to help any veteran. I am available to help any of my brothers and sisters 24 hours a day. I am a member of the VFW, and DAV. I am very active in veterans groups on Face book and also administrator to 5 veteran pages.

I am also the executive director of operations for The Walking Veteran www.facebook.com/WalkingVeteran/?fref=ts
~ Brian Berg, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Veteran