A final salute to a Devil’s Brigade commando

I met Bert Winzer in March 2012 at the annual banquet of Lehigh Valley Chapter 190, Military Order of the Purple Heart.

I’d go to those events at the Fullerton American Legion post in search of veterans’ stories for my employer, The Morning Call of Allentown.

Bert and I talked. He wowed me. During World War II, he fought in the 1^st Special Service Force, better known as the Devil’s Brigade, an elite unit of Canadians and Americans made famous in the 1968 movie of the same name.

He agreed to be interviewed and told me his story over many hours at his home in Lower Macungie Township. The piece ran on Memorial Day 2012 as part of my “in their own words” series. I brought him a stack of copies.

After that, I saw him from time to time at veterans’ events like the Purple Heart banquets. He was also speaking at schools and in front of community groups.

When I visited him this summer at the skilled nursing facility where he was living, he pointed at the wall in front of him. “There, there!” he said. My story was taped on it. It was gratifying to know I had done something to make him proud. He deserved it.

Last month, I was among dozens of friends and family members who attended Bert’s 101^st birthday party. Among the guests were two other 101-year-old World War II vets, Pearl Harbor survivor Dick Schimmel and Angelo Bokeko of the 13^th Armored Division. Both were Bert’s pals.

Bert died in his sleep last Tuesday, October 24. I wrote about him again for the newspaper, this time with tears in my eyes.