Bernardi, Wilbur Ralph

Wilbur Ralph Bernardi was born on June 1, 1923, in Mark, Illinois, to Jasper Bernardi and Dorohtea Passini. Bernardi attended Winnetka High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and worked in his family’s drugstore.

Bernardi applied to become a volunteer ambulance driver with the American Field Service (AFS) in April 1943. He departed off the eastern coast of the United States with AFS unit CM 43 on the Robin Tuxford in July 1943. The journey took him south to the Panama Canal, down the Pacific coastline, around the tip of South America, and east across the southern Atlantic Ocean to Africa and India. Bernardi served with the AFS 485 Company (Coy) upon arrival to Port Tewfik, Egypt. He was also assigned to the 8^th Indian Division of the Regimental Aid Post (RAP), which was attached to the American 5^th Army in the mountains of northern Italy, and then assigned to the Polish Corp. Later, he was reassigned to the British 78^th Division and then to the RAP at the Hitler Line, a German defensive line in central Italy. He signed up to serve with AFS units in India and Burma prior to repatriation to the United States in July 1945, but his assignment was canceled following the cessation of hostilities with Japan. Bernardi was awarded the 1939-1945 Star and the Italy Star for his service with AFS.

Following the war, Bernardi continued to work with his brothers in their family drugstore.

[Bio courtesy of AFS Archives, New York]