Bernard Francis Bird was born March 23, 1917 in Dolgeville, NY to Melvin C. Bird (1886-1976) and Bertha A. Durham (1888-1987). His parents were married on May 24, 1911 in Waterville, New York. His dad was from Clayville, NY and his mom from Waterville, NY. The 1920 U.S. Census recorded the family living in Paris, NY. Both his parents worked in a local knitting mill. His dad was a knitter. His mom was a finisher. He had an older sister Celina "Sally" Bird Vanderwood (1913-2007) and two younger sisters Thelma Skane (1920-2013) and Lillian Elizabeth Strong (1923-2018). The family lived on Church St. in Clayville, NY.

While growing up Barney attended Sauquoit Valley Central High School. He was elected vice-president of the Future Farmers' of American Chapter and was an outstanding basketball player. He graduated from Sauquoit Valley in 1934. It also seems that Bernard was somewhat of a baseball fan. In 1937 the New York Yankees played the New York Giants in the World Series. Local newspapers reported him attending one of their games on Oct. 10. It very well might be he attended the game on October 10, 1937 when the Yankees clinched by beating the Giants at the Polo Grounds by a score of 4 – 1.

In the years after he graduated high school his name appeared in the local sports columns for his basketball scoring prowess. He registered for the draft on October 16, 1940 in Rome, NY. At the time he was 5'-11 1/2" tall and weighed 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He reported working for Willowvale Blachery on Main St. in Chadwicks, NY. Willowvale was part of Utica Mohawk Cotton Mills and they made sheeting for beds. He was drafted into the service about 4 months later on February 10, 1941 through Syracuse, NY with service number 32026828.

He did basic training at Ft. McClellan, Alabama and Camp Robinson, Arkansas with the 108th Infantry Regiment. He spent 18 months in the Pacific before joining the 112th Infantry back stateside. In August 1943 he was granted a furlough and got home for a bit to visit family. He was a Sgt. by then and with Company F, 112th Infantry at Camp Pickett, Virginia. By January 1944 he was in England training with the 112th in Carmarthenshire, Wales getting ready for D-Day.

In late July 1944 the 112th landed in France and joined the fighting near Saint-Lo, France. Sometime in early August S/Sgt. Bird was gravely wounded in the head and sent to the 24th Evacuation Hospital near Swindwon, Wilts. This was one of the large US Army hospital "plants" established in Wiltshire, England during World War II. Efforts to save him failed and according to US Army Morning Reports, S/Sgt. Bird died of his wounds on September 29, 1944.

He was awarded the Purple Heart medal posthumously and his remains were returned home and buried next to his parents in the Saint Marys Cemetery, Clayville, New York, Section E, Lot 6, Grave 3A.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

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If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Alphabetical Master Cards, 1942–1947; Series VI, Card Files—Bureau of War Records, Master Index Cards, 1943–1947; National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records, 1940–1969; I-52; boxes 273–362. New York, New York: American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History.

Ancestry.com Family Tree of the Stong/Bird Family on February 3, 2026.

Ancestry.com. New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.

"Clayville Notes", Utica Observer-Dispatch, October 10, 1938, pg. 4B

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58397394/bernard_f-bird: accessed February 2, 2026), memorial page for Bernard F Bird (23 Mar 1917–29 Sep 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 58397394, citing Saint Marys Cemetery, Clayville, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by KChaffeeB (contributor 46506715).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46874093/bertha_ann-bird: accessed February 2, 2026), memorial page for Bertha Ann Durham Bird (24 Jun 1890–24 Sep 1987), Find a Grave Memorial ID 46874093, citing Saint Marys Cemetery, Clayville, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Andrew L. (contributor 46818829).

"Future Farmers' Chapter Formed", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, Oct. 17, 1932, pg. unknown.

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 04563; Reel: 178

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri;Army and Army Air Force (Air Corp) Rosters, 1940-1943: Number 1644 (3 of 3); Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration; Series: Muster Rolls and Rosters

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri, various U.S. Army Morning Reports accessed via online search of his service number.

"Sauquoit Yule Exercises Set For Wednesday", The Utica Observer-Dispatch, December 19, 1932, pg. ?.

"Senior Class Total Record for Sququoit", The Utica Observer-Dispatch, Sunday, June 2?, 19??, pg. 6A. This is likely a 1937 newspaper since that is the year he graduated.

Snowdon, Clare, "The story of American troops arriving in Carmarthenshire", Oct. 11, 2020, accessed at https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/18785882.story-american-troops-arriving-carmarthenshire/ on February 2, 2026.

"Willowvale Bleachery", New Hartford Historical Society, website accessed at https://www.newhartfordhistory.com/willowvale-bleachery on February 2, 2026.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Paris, Oneida, New York; Roll: T625_1243; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 90

Year: 1940; Census Place: Clayville, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02701; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 33-43

Supporting Documents

Below are various Morning Report pages documenting his rank and location at different times.