Thomas D. Biery was born on June 17, 1918 near Berne, Indiana. His parents were Peter S.and Elizabeth (Rawley) Biery. He attended a high school in the Berne area. He received 4 years of education. He had skilled occupations in the manufacturing area of work. Thomas Biery married Frances Mason from Geneva on January 5 1938. They had two children which were named Marvin Dean and David Dale. Thomas D. Biery enlisted into the U.S. Army April 21, 1944. He was first sent to training at Camp Fannin in Texas, then sent overseas in October 1944. Thomas D. Biery served in the European Theater as a Private. He served with the 84th Division as part of the 334th Infantry Division. He spent 8 months and 6 days with the 84th Division before being killed in action at the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium.The Battle of the Bulge was a last ditch effort by the German forces to split the allied forces in the western front to turn the tide of war in their favor. The German strategy was to blitzkrieg the allied line and takes vital bridges and stop the allied advance. The name of the Battle of the Bulge came when the Germans began their advance it made a "bulge" like shape. The 84th Division was formed in 1917. This is also the date in which America entered World War I. The 84th Division was reactivated on October 15, 1942. The 84th Division, soon after reactivation, picked the nickname "Rail-Splitter". The 84th served in 3 campaigns: Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, and central Europe. The 84th entered the European Campaign by storming Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 (D-Day). During the Battle of the Bulge they recaptured Verdenne on December 28th and Laroche by January 11th. After a 5 day respite they resumed the offensive. On the 23 of February 1945 the 84th Division cut through Roer River zone and took Boisheim and Dülken. March 2 they crossed the Niers Canal, took Krefeld by March 3rd and reached the Rhine River on March 5. On April 1 the 84th drove to Bielefeld along with the 5th Armored Division. They took Hanover after crossing the Weser River on April 10. Then they reached Elbe by the 13th of April and halted their advance, they were patrolling along the CIriver. The Russians were contacted on May 2, 1946 at Balow. The 84th returned to the United States on January 19, 1946. Thomas was temporarily buried in a U.S Military Cemetery in Fosse, Belgium. He was later transferred to a cemetery in Berne, Indiana. Awards he received during his service included the WWII Victory Medal, Purple Heart, European- African-Middle East Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. Private Biery also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and qualified as a U.S. Army Marksman. Information collected and researched by Devon Koons, 2014.
American Legion Post No468, and Berne & Community Business Men, comps. ServiceRecord: World War I and II - Book of Men and Women of Berne, Indiana andCommunity. Marceline: Walsworth Brothers, n.d. Print.
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