Bruce K. Berger, Ph.D., served in Vietnam in 1970 with the Casualty Branch of the 101st Airborne Division in Phu Bai. As next-of-kin editor, he wrote hundreds of sympathy letters to grieving families back home for the loss of their soldier in the 101st that year. Sometimes he joined Graves Registration teams to gather fallen brothers on battlefields. 

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Today he’s professor emeritus, University of Alabama, where he taught communications and public relations for 17 years and was founding director of The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. He’s authored/edited three books and more than 130 journal articles, book chapters, and academic conference papers about the crucial role of communication in leadership. He’s received national awards for his teaching and research. 

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Before teaching, he spent 20 years as a communicator for two global corporations. At The Upjohn Company (1975-89) he was director of worldwide human health PR. He then served (1989-96) as Chief Communication Officer for Whirlpool Corporation. He worked on diverse projects in more than 30 countries. He and his family lived in Brussels, Belgium for three years. 

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In 2021, his poetry book, Fragments: The Long Coming Home from Vietnam, was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Book of War Poetry by the Military Writers’ Society of America. Book Authority includes Fragments as one of the 100 Best Vietnam War Books of all time. 

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Bruce is a poetry lover, avid trout fisherman, rock ‘n roller, 24/7 reader, happy parent and grandparent, fervent football fan, dog lover, enthusiastic mentor, and proud Vietnam veteran. He resides with his wife, Joan, and German shepherd, Rose, near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.