Seymour Berman

On June 25, 2010, Ret. Lt. Col. Seymour Berman passed away peacefully at home from natural causes while under hospice and family care. Known as Sy to his friends, he was born in Wilmington, Delaware on September 24, 1916 and has resided in Cocoa Beach since 1966. As a 14-year-old, he was the youngest boy in Delaware to achieve Eagle Scout rank. He served in the USAF from 1941-1961 participating in WWII, the Berlin Airlift and Korean War. Sy had a distinguished military career, starting as an aviation cadet in early 1941. His finest WWII hours were early in 1944, when assigned to the 483rd Bomb Group at Foggia, Italy. During two combat tours in Europe flying in B-17s, he survived 57 missions that included among others Ploesti, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Weiner Newstadt, Augsburg, Schweinfurt and Regensburg while earning the rank of Major. His significant battle highlights included: 1. Destroying the oil refining facilities at Ploesti, Romania. 2. Leading missions to bomb Monte Cassino to open the road to Rome and release the U.S. Army Troops tied down at the Anzio Beachhead. 3. Missions to support the landing of about 50,000 American, French and British Troops in southern France. His combat awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, 2 Purple Hearts and The Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters. He also was awarded the French Freedom Medal for his support in liberating Paris and France. He received the Russian WWII Victory Medal and the Greek Victory medal for distinguished service to those nations. His 483rd Bomb Group received 2 Presidential citations for combat. After his military career, Sy worked for Honeywell and Federal Electric in the Space industry at the Cape; thereafter, he owned American BB Realty, a real estate brokerage office in Cocoa Beach. Sy also served on the Development Council for Circles of Care as a charter life member of Military Officers Association of America. In addition, he served the Cape Canaveral Chapter of the Air Force Association, Brevard Veterans Council, Optimist Club of Cocoa Beach, and the Retired Officers Club at Patrick Air Force Base. His wife of 66 years, Betty J. Berman and children, Patricia, Michael, Thomas and Daniel and many loving grandchildren and great grandchildren, survive him. A memorial service will be held at1pm Friday, July 9, 2010 at the Patrick AFB South Chapel, 121 Alamanda Ave., Satellite Beach, FL 32937. Interment with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at 3pm Thursday, October 14, 2010. You may sign Seymour's guestbook at www.beckman-williamson.com.