PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Two World War II veterans – one Black, one White – who met decades later and sparked a deep friendship are now embarking on a new battle: supporting museums and pushing for a local monument.
Two hometown heroes walked CBS News Philadelphia through the ACES Veterans Museum in Germantown.
We met retired Cpl. Benjamin Berry last year the day before his 100th birthday .
Berry was adamant that we meet his dear friend, retired Pfc. Jake Ruser.
Today, they are sitting together, both wearing a D-Day poppy remembrance pin. They both served in the U.S. Army.
“I was drafted back in 1943,” Berry said. “Uncle Sam asked me – he told me, we need you, we want you.”
“I was drafted,” Ruser said. “I got the notice, ‘You are cordially invited to report.'”
They both made sacrifices, but they were treated differently because of race.
Ruser, of Conshohocken, was assigned to medics.