LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, August 14, 2020 – August 16, 2020 will be recognized across the country as National Airborne Day, the 80th anniversary of the first test jump of a soldier from an aircraft to demonstrate Airborne capability. The new fighting force of Airborne soldiers helped ensure victory in World War II, and continues to be a cherished capability of the US military.
Berry Law will once again sponsor a community event in commemoration of the date, hosted by the Nebraska National Guard Museum Historical Society at the Seward Municipal Airport in Seward, Nebraska. The event is open to the public and will feature several family-friendly events, including a live demonstration of more than 50 soldiers parachuting to the ground as part of their proficiency training. Many veterans, including WWII vets and their families, will be in attendance to be a part of the celebration. The jumps are scheduled to start at 9:30am on August 16th, and will be followed by a cake cutting, speeches, and other ceremonial events.
Berry Law is not only the sponsor, but also proudly features three airborne Veterans among its dozens of Veteran employees. Berry Law’s winged team members are John Berry, , Carole Tanner, and Gordon Bjorman.
The firm’s CEO, John Berry served 20 years in the U.S. Army and Nebraska National Guard before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. He received his commission as an infantry officer and completed Airborne School and Ranger School. He deployed to Bosnia for Operation Joint Forge, and served as a Company Commander in Iraq, before completing his career as a Battalion Commander in the Nebraska National Guard.
Carole Tanner also completed Airborne School and served 7 years on Active Duty as a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot, and 4 years in the Army National Guard as an Intelligence Analyst, including 2 combat deployments. Berry Law is proud to have Carole on the team where she continues to fight for her fellow Veterans as a Veterans Advocate.
Gordon Bjorman, the firm’s CIO and CTO, served 28 years in the U.S. Army and Nebraska National Guard. Gordon started his Army career with 4 years in the famed 82nd Airborne Division, America’s Guard of Honor, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. He deployed to Desert Shield as part of the 82nd DRF1 and later the Left Hook of Desert Storm. Gordon later served in two Airborne units in the Nebraska National Guard, the 134th LRSD and the 1-134th Cavalry Squadron. He ended his Army service serving in as a DOIM G6 Deputy Chief of Staff for Information Management and finally as a G3 Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Cyber Development