Brian Berkey received his chemical engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1974 and has worked in the chemical industry, primarily in the environmental, health and safety area since then. While semi-retired he continues to work as a consultant with various clients in chemical process safety management. Brian is also an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren and serves as a part-time pastor at a small church in Chester County, PA. He lives in Elkton, MD but also spends a lot of time in Bedford, PA. He and his wife, Emily, were married in 1974 and have two sons and five grandchildren. Brian and his wife have lived in Cecil County since 1989 when he moved to the area and worked in Wilmington for Hercules Incorporated. While he has worked as an engineer during his adult life, he has had a life-long passion for all types of history as well as his family history. More than 25 years ago, his Aunt Mary and other family members passed on the letters that had been sent home from his father, Bob Berkey, during his time in the Army Air Force in World War II. Brian took the letters and incorporated them with some historical information from the Johnstown Tribune into a book as a gift for his father. Some years later, he had the opportunity to include some additional family history in the form of his grandmother Berkey’s diaries, resulting in this book about the experiences of his family during the extraordinary time of World War II.
