PIERRE — Trooper John Berndt was awarded Hero of the Year on Sept. 20 at the National Promenade of The Society of the Forty Men and Eight Horses, more commonly known as The Forty and Eight.
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PIERRE — Trooper John Berndt was awarded Hero of the Year on Sept. 20 at the National Promenade of The Society of the Forty Men and Eight Horses, more commonly known as The Forty and Eight.
Berndt was recognized as the 40 and 8 Hero of the Year by Voiture 146 in Aberdeen in April. He was then selected as the state Hero of the Year, and most recently, chosen as the national award recipient from among many other state finalists.
The state trooper from Aberdeen was shot at when he responded to an incident during the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
“The 40 and 8 is a large group of Veterans from around the United States, Canada, Germany and France. A significant number of veterans in this organization were sent thousands of miles from their families and have seen the gruesome reality of war that I cannot even imagine,” Berndt said. “I was in a life-or-death event that lasted for several minutes, then I stayed in my own bed that night. The fact this group of veterans would find my event 'heroic' is humbling to say the least.”
The purpose of the award is to recognize and pay tribute to a person who, without hesitation or regard for their own safety, demonstrates an unselfish desire to aid others. The plaque presented to Berndt states, "The Society of the Forty Men and Eight Horses proudly present this award in recognition of his quick thinking and bravery which resulted in apprehending a dangerous criminal."
The titles and symbols of The Forty and Eight are in French, derived from the experiences of U.S. troops during World War I. American soldiers were taken to the front on the French rail system. Cramped into narrow-gauge boxcars, each stenciled with “40 Hommes/8 Chevaux,” denoting its capacity to hold either 40 men or 8 horses. This uncomfortable mode of transportation was familiar common experience for every Doughboy that fought in the trenches; a mutual small misery among American soldiers. Thereafter, they found “40/8” a lighthearted symbol of the deeper service, unspoken horrors and shared sacrifice that bind all who have endured combat.
