Frank Leslie Bersch, Jr., SN, U.S. Navy 1965-1971

I was born into a Christian home in Richmond, Virginia on February 12, 1946, the first-born of three children who lived, to Frank and Maxine Bersch.  My parents were country people who met and married in the “big city,” near the end of WW II.  They were married at First Baptist Church there by the pastor, Dr. Theodore F. Adams, who was also president of the Baptist World Alliance at that time.  Dad was a purchasing agent for the City and mom became a housewife, after working in Army pay and allowances when they met.  We were a nice family who were blessed by a loving God; in spite of an accident at age two, where my left hand caught fire electrically; having nine operations, with many years of therapy; and my mom experiencing three miscarriages along the way.  My parents felt called to help start two mission churches over the years and were very active lay people; including the Billy Graham Crusade in 1956.  So, it wasn’t unusual for me to be very patriotic concerning military service since God and Country were instilled through home and church and school, along with Boy Scouts, RA’s, and Christian Youth Core.

Without going into all the details, life found me wanting to go into the Navy at age 18, which I had thought about doing most of my life.  My reasons were not that noble, though that was in the mix, but mainly to get a G.E.D., see the world, and have my college paid for when I was ready to go.  I found out that I was draft exempt, 1Y, because of my burned hand, so I went through nine and a half weeks of BuMed and BuPers, to get waivered in.  Then I went to boot camp in San Diego for 12 weeks and in 1965 was one of a few chosen for Frogman training.  While this was a great thrill which I had never expected (though I had dreamed about it when I was a kid), it was short-lived because of an accident in the third week.  I did learn that I could do far more than I thought but was still disappointed in being washed out.  I was allowed to go back later, if I chose to.

My other classification was FTM 1152 (Fire Control Technician), but my A School had already started, so I was sent onboard the Heavy Cruiser, 1^st Fleet Flagship, U.S.S. Saint Paul (CA-73), for duty.  Many things happened over the next 43 months, including three WestPac tours to Viet Nam, firing nearly 100,000 rounds of eight inch and five inch shore bombardment; along with being hit several times in the north, at Tiger Island during General Quarters missions; being named Top Gun of the Navy in 1968; and awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.  Even though we knew the guys on land had it a whole lot worse, we were still proud to serve and do our part. 

I’m sure that I wasn’t the best serviceman that I could or should have been, but I’m glad God granted me the privilege, by His Grace and Mercy, to be more than I deserved to be.  He even helped me finish college on the GI Bill at age 30.  Then God fully converted me at age 33, making me a preacher of the Word, evangelizing and discipeling along the way, and graduating with two theological masters degrees in my fifties, to be used as a veteran of the United States of America, for His kingdom