Simpson College hosted a reception Wednesday evening for alumni Gerry Berry, a retired Marine Colonel who flew helicopters in the Vietnam War. Berry talked about his experiences evacuating Vietnamese citizens and embassy personnel on the last helicopters out of Saigon at the end of the war. Berry tells KNIA News his experiences in Indianola and at Simpson College shaped a large part of his life, and coming back and seeing classmates and the campus was great.

“To me, coming back was just wonderful. Everybody’s so friendly and i’m very close to the athletic department. The community feels just like it did when I attended. I couldn’t feel any better about the welcome, the turnout was wonderful, I saw so many old friends and coaches, old coaches relatives, was such a pleasure. I’m always treated very well, just wonderful.”

Berry was captain on the Simpson football team, and graduated in 1967. Over 300 people attended the event.