He vividly remembers treating shrapnel wounds from German artillery, working day and night along with the other medics to triage as best as possible, amputating when necessary. When the attack started, Devon got permission to relocate to the front line to assist in aiding the wounded. Devon recalls being moved into the area by truck and the locals were lined up passing bottles of beer to the troops as they went by. Jerry served around the Elsenborn Ridge, in Belgium, which was the only location the German’s failed to advance during their offensive. He spent most of his time training to fight the Japanese, but come 1944 his unit, the 99 th Infantry Division, was routed to the European theater to push into Central Europe. Verland “Jerry” Devon was drafted into the Army in 1942 shortly after completing high school and was trained as a combat medic. He vividly remembers the night crossing of the Sauer River between German and Luxembourg, which under artillery and gunfire, would be crossed. Berkman recalls the necessary extremes that everyone went through, especially while traveling at night because of how easy it was to get left behind and lost if you fell out for any reason, as well as the terror of hearing tanks moving around in the night. Though he was not present for the 48-hour push into Bastogne led by General Patton, Berkman would take part in the allied counteroffensive into Germany. The Lieutenant pointed at him and said, “you are now a machine gunner.” Berkman was assigned to their weapons platoon as an ammo bearer. Upon getting to his unit, their first lieutenant asked if anyone was a good mortarman, to which Berkman raised his hand. While traveling, men returning from the front lines told him that the best job was a mortarman, as it was the most protected. Upon his completion of basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina he was deployed overseas and assigned to Company F, 2 nd Battalion, 317 th Infantry Regiment, 80 th Infantry Division. Army in 1944 shortly after completing high school at Monticello, New York.