Bern was born September 16, 1924 on a farm near Hammond, Marion County. In a family of nine, Bern worked on the farm and help during the darkest days of the Great Depression. He attended the Glady Creek School, Marion County.
He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps in October 1941. Bern was stationed at Camp Champayne, St. Paris, Ohio near Dayton, Ohio. “This was a true conservation camp. We cut wooden fence posts for countless miles of fences, along with stretching barbed wire.” Linn commented. “We (CCC "Boys") cleared fields for farmland. In turn, the farmers let us plant trees to stop erosion.” Furthermore, he said that he learned teamwork and discipline. “We had plenty of good food to eat. The first time I ever tasted turkey was in the CCC.” he exclaimed.
The CCC was disbanded in June of 1942. The inductee then worked in the coal mines. He joined the U.S. Army in 1944 and served with distinction at the Battle of the Bulge earning three battle stars and the bronze star.
After the war, Bern married Mary Madaline Kirk in 1946. She passed away in 2008. He worked in the coal mines off and on until his employment at Sharon Steel Coke Plant, Fairmont, West Virginia, where he retired. Today, B. D. Keeps up his farm.
