Bernath is a lawyer, representing clients
before the United States Social Security Administration, the United
States Department of Homeland Security-US Citizenship and Immigration
and before all Courts of the State of California.
Bernath began his adult
life by joining the US Navy at age 17 in 1966.
He traveled throughout the Pacific on the USS Kearsarge and USS Yorktown, spent 12 months in the combat zone off the coast of North
Vietnam, south and west of communist China. Dan Bernath volunteered and did
serve a second tour at Vietnam. While temporarily assigned to the
Boatswain Mate 2nd Division, Bernath took the helm of the USS Yorktown and
logged 8 hours on the helm in the combat zone and manned the 6 inch gun
as a gun crew member during various watches
.
He
was awarded the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry
Cross Medal Color with Palm) Gold Frame.
For service on the USS Kearsarge, Bernath and the crew
were awarded the US
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon.
Of the battle stars
awarded to the Yorktown and Kearsarge, Bernath wore
two on his chest along with the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal,
Republic of Vietnam Medal, Navy Unit Citation and the Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal.
Dan Bernath is a proud member of the Radio Shack Battery Club.
Bernath
completed high school in 1968, taught by a US Navy Ensign on the hangar deck of
the USS Kearsarge, in the combat zone in Vietnam coastal waters. Bernath
attended class between his helicopter, flight deck and photography duties.
When
the USS Pueblo was captured by the communist North Koreans Bernath was on the
Yorktown during the American Navy show of force. During that action, the
Yorktown was repeatedly flown over by Soviet Bear Bombers and constantly being
tracked by Russian intelligence ships. Bernath and the Yorktown crew were
awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for
that action and the Korea Defense Service Medal. read
more
Bernath manning six inch (5'38) Gun, off coast of North
Vietnam, combat zone 1968
The Commanding Officer of the USS Yorktown,
Captain William L.
Bennett, regarding the Yorktown's last combat deployment stated,
"Petty Officer Daniel Bernath frequently
volunteered to be the combat photographer on day
or night helicopter missions over enemy territory and waters and as
the rescue aircrewman
on these dangerous flights for which he had been trained.
He taught many of the new recruits to the photography field the fine art of
taking an outstanding picture and was an idol for them.
Dan Bernath
is the kind of sailor, petty officer and shipmate that every commanding officer
hopes to have in his organization, especially in the combat zone."
Bernath later photographed the splashdown of the
first manned mission to travel to the moon- Apollo 8 astronauts
in the Pacific off of the Hawaiian Islands (along with other Navy lensmen, ABC
newsmen and an Associated Press photographers). NASA awarded the crew and
Bernath the Group Achievement Award for "professional precision and
exactitude" and the Yorktown's Captain added praise for "untiring
efforts and unswerving devotion to duty."
Bernath was also awarded the
US Navy
Unit Commendation Medal for his
participation in the recovery of the First Men to the Moon. The
award was the Second such US Navy Commendation for Petty
Officer Daniel Bernath.
He traveled after that with the Navy on the USS YORKTOWN to South America and Europe.
He was
promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class, Photographers Mate on the USS YORKTOWN at the age of 19.
At 20, he was discharged from the Navy in Boston, just prior to the decommissioning of the Yorktown.
Bernath was awarded the Cold War Certificate of Appreciation which
states "In recognition
of your service during the period of the Cold War in promoting peace and
stability for this Nation, the people of this Nation are forever grateful."
/s/ Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
after his Navy service with the tuition paid by the G.I. Bill for returning
veterans.
Daniel Bernath rotates his tires and cleans the coils in the back of
his refrigerator regularly.
Television and radio journalist
In 1970 to 1982 he was an award winning journalist
(using the "on the air" name of Daniel Abernathy) primarily on radio but also on television in such cities as New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans, Milwaukee where he won awards for
"newscast contributing most to the community", "best spot news" and the like. As a newscaster in New York and Los Angeles, he has been heard by tens of millions of Americans. While the news director of WHN in New York City, which covered
the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Bernath took on the duties
of reporting to
"the second largest audience in the world, age 25 to 49."
Bernath was the morning anchorman and heard throughout the
day and was also a street reporter.
The program director of WABC New York, Rick Sklar, referred to
Bernath as a "major talent" when he recommended him to the ABC owned radio
stations. At the time WABC was the most listened to radio station in the
world. George Wilson, president of Bartell Broadcasting dubbed him, "the
best newscaster in contemporary radio in America."
One of the highlights
of his journalism career was reporting from the Republican Convention in Detroit
that nominated President Ronald Reagan and Vice President (and later President
Bush) and reporting on the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan and reporting
live from the White House as President Carter announced that American hostages
were to be released by Iran. Daniel Bernath was also the
first reporter to conduct a personal interview with the
reclusive President Richard Nixon after Nixon left the White House.
Publicity
picture of future California attorney Daniel Bernath (standing) and
future Illinois attorney Steven K. Silverman, news reporters at WOKY,
Milwaukee 1976
Attorney and
Counselor at Law
In 1982 Daniel Bernath attended law school
and was in the top 10% of his class in the first year and graduated in
the top 25% after completing the
accelerated 24 month program
earning his degree as Doctor of Jurisprudence. He is the winner of the
American Jurisprudence Award after having the highest grade amongst his
classmates in Criminal Procedure. Bernath was sworn in as a lawyer before the
California
Supreme Court in 1984. In the summer of 1984, Dan Bernath passed the most
difficult bar exam in the country, if not in the history of all bar
exams. In the bar exam Bernath passed, nearly two thirds failed.
Also in 1984 Bernath was sworn in before the
United States Court of Appeal for the
Ninth Circuit. That Court has jurisdiction over California,
Washington, , Guam, Idaho, Oregon and other western states
and is one level from the United States Supreme Court in the federal system.
click on picture to enlarge
After
serving the required five years as a lawyer and counselor at law was admitted as
a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court in 1990. But, he
still considers himself a small town "country lawyer."
In
a previous life, Daniel Bernath was a traffic light in front of
the "Old Bailey."
Public Service as a judge and arbitrator
Appointed
as a judge pro tem of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles Municipal
Court and Culver City Municipal Court, Bernath has judged hundreds of matters
and as an arbitrator for the Superior Court, judged over 130 complex cases.
Attorney Bernath has been hired by a subdivision of the State
of Oregon to pursue a claim before a federal agency in Portland Oregon.
Daniel Bernath always drives 3.5 miles per hour below the speed limit
on United States interstate highways and is gratified by the hand
waving, gesturing and greetings he receives from fellow motorists on the
expressways of America, as they pass him by on the left and the right.
Public Service as member of Board of famed USS
Yorktown Association
In 2000 he was unanimously elected to the Board
of Directors of the USS Yorktown Association, a group of World War Two, Korean
War and Vietnam War naval combat pilots, aviators and crewmembers of the CV 5 and CV 10.
In October 2001 he was given an award by the USS Yorktown Association;
For Exemplary
Service in War
Aboard the "Fighting Lady"
and unselfish Devotion in Peace
to the Yorktown Association.
From your Shipmates,
a Heartfelt "Well Done"
As a photographer and author his work has been read and seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world from the
Times of London, the Associated Press, Newsweek, USA
Today, ABC News, NBC News, NBC's The Today Show, CBS Radio
Network, the Oprah Winfrey Show,
Legal Times, the U.S. Navy Photography Retention Center,U.S.S. Yorktown Sea V Ten
magazinehttp://www.YorktownSailor.com
, Bride's Guide Magazine and BrideSave.com
He has photographed weddings in Japan, Los Angeles,
Detroit, Portland, Oregon; Sydney, Australia; Paris, France and London, England.
With his pictures published on the Today
Show, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, Winfrey, exhibited and viewed annually by 600,000
visitors to Patriot's Point South Carolina Naval Aviation History Museum,
etc., it is estimated that 300 million people have seen Bernath's photographs.
Bernath also trains fellow photographer journalists in a style that is both time
efficient and produces elegant photographs.
The veterans web magazine
http://www.YorktownSailor.com created and edited by Bernath has been awarded the "Top Vet
Site Award", "Veteran and Proud Award" and "The Chief says, this site blew me
away..." award.
click to see USS Yorktown Association webmagazine awards.
He has attained the status as "senior statesman" to the news media,
having been interviewed by local television stations KGW, and KOIN and KXL radio
on veterans affairs, politics and the like, the New York Times and USA
Today on national security.
In 2006, Daniel Bernath was interviewed on the worldwide radio show
The Mr.
Nice Guy show regarding the "Death of the 'Antique News Media.'" hear the interview;
click here
(takes a minute to load)
Daniel Bernath has never taken more than 10 items through the express
check-out lane of any supermarket in the 50 States of the United States,
nor it's possessions or territories.
Public service as lifesaver-"Saved a woman's
life" in 2006
Daniel Bernath is a
member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States in Portland
Oregon, Tigard and Tualatin.When selling poppies on
Veterans Day
2006 at the King City Safeway shopping center Bernath witnessed
an 85 year
old woman being hit by an SUV truck.
The 57 year old Dan Bernath swung into action, running in
front of another vehicle that was bearing down on the stricken woman.
He stopped the inattentive second driver by getting in front of the
moving car, pounding on the car's hood and stopping that driver from
running over the stricken woman.
Having stopped the second car from running over the woman by
standing in front of the moving car and slapping its hood, Daniel
Bernath then turned to the woman, laying on the pavement. Bernath, having been trained in medical first aid from the US Navy,
school bus driver training and elsewhere then provided what medical aid
he could to the woman.
Daniel Bernath ordered passersby to call 911, he ordered the raving driver
as the driver screamed into his cellphone to sit
on the sidewalk until the police arrived and he directed police, firemen
and paramedics to the woman as she lay on the wet pavement parking lot
as Bernath gave her aid, comforted her and covered her with a coat.
The Safeway manager thanked Bernath for "taking charge" and the paramedic/fireman
first on the scene
told him "you did everything correctly" in aiding the
woman.
For his efforts, the VFW Commander commended VFW comrade
Dan Bernath
for "saving the woman's life."
Public Service as Officer of United States
Department of Homeland Security
after attack on US on September 11, 2001
After
our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, Bernath sought to protect his
country again and became an officer with the US Department of Homeland
Security/Transportation Security Administration where he searched for bombs and
improvised explosive devises in luggage.
He thereafter edited and wrote the TSA Screener
webmagazine TSA Watch which was praised by screeners and political leaders
in Oregon and Washington for exposing security breaches and workplace
dangers that screeners face everyday.
Dan
Bernath's duties as an Officer of the Transportation Security
Administration of the US Department of
Homeland Security received praise and thanks on the floor of the
US Congress.
Bernath than became a legal assistant to
the judges
at the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Social Security Administration
in Portland Oregon. Seeing that claimants needed a caring, competent,
knowledgeable attorney at
law, Bernath left public service to again represent clients as an attorney
at law before the Social Security Administration and the US Department of
Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration, in the State of Oregon,
Washington and California.
Although a holder of an Oregon Driver License, Daniel
Bernath is not an illegal alien.
Picture: Attorney Bernath on Wall
Street in New York City, where George Washington became our first
President. New Yorker (right) is unimpressed and sits down.
He is a photographer, lawyer, publisher and journalist
and loved to ride his Honda Shadow 750cc in sun, rain, ice, hot or cold.
But
foremost, he is a Daddy. He is married and has four daughters, (two are married),
3 grandsons and has an unending zest for life (and a sense of humor).
Bernath began his adult
life by joining the US Navy at age 17 in 1966.
He traveled throughout the Pacific on the USS Kearsarge and USS Yorktown, spent 12 months in the combat zone off the coast of North
Vietnam, south and west of communist China. Dan Bernath volunteered and did
serve a second tour at Vietnam. While temporarily assigned to the
Boatswain Mate 2nd Division, Bernath took the helm of the USS Yorktown and
logged 8 hours on the helm in the combat zone and manned the 6 inch gun
as a gun crew member during various watches
were awarded the US
Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon.
Of the battle stars
awarded to the Yorktown and Kearsarge, Bernath wore
two on his chest along with the National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal,
Republic of Vietnam Medal, Navy Unit Citation and the Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal.
Bernath
completed high school in 1968, taught by a US Navy Ensign on the hangar deck of
the USS Kearsarge, in the combat zone in Vietnam coastal waters. Bernath
attended class between his helicopter, flight deck and photography duties.
Koreans
Bernath was on the
Yorktown during the American Navy show of force. During that action, the
Yorktown was repeatedly flown over by Soviet Bear Bombers and constantly being
tracked by Russian intelligence ships. Bernath and the Yorktown crew were
awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for
that action and the Korea Defense Service Medal. 
volunteered to be the combat photographer on day
or night helicopter missions over enemy territory and waters and as
the rescue aircrewman
on these dangerous flights for which he had been trained.
Bernath later photographed the splashdown of the
first manned mission to travel to the moon- Apollo 8 astronauts
in the Pacific off of the Hawaiian Islands (along with other Navy lensmen, ABC
newsmen and an Associated Press photographers). NASA awarded the crew and
Bernath the Group Achievement Award for "professional precision and
exactitude" and the Yorktown's Captain added praise for "untiring
efforts and unswerving devotion to duty." 
US Navy
Unit Commendation Medal for his
participation in the recovery of the First Men to the Moon. The
award was the Second such US Navy
Commendation for Petty
Officer Daniel Bernath.
Bernath was awarded the Cold War Certificate of Appreciation which
states "In recognition
of your service during the period of the Cold War in promoting peace and
stability for this Nation, the people of this Nation are forever grateful."
/s/ Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
ted
"Honorary Chief Petty Officer Photographer's Mate
by the 
Abernathy) primarily on radio but also on television in such cities as New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans, Milwaukee where he won awards for
"newscast contributing most to the community", "best spot news" and the like. As a newscaster in New York and Los Angeles, he has been heard by tens of millions of Americans. While the news director of WHN in New York City, which covered
the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Bernath took on the duties
of reporting to
"the second largest audience in the world, age 25 to 49."
The program director of WABC New York, Rick Sklar, referred to
Bernath as a "major talent" when he recommended him to the ABC owned radio
stations. At the time WABC was the most listened to radio station in the
world. George Wilson, president of Bartell Broadcasting dubbed him, "the
best newscaster in contemporary radio in America."
One of the highlights
of his journalism career was reporting from the Republican Convention in Detroit
that nominated President Ronald Reagan and Vice President (and later President
Bush) and reporting on the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan and reporting
live from the White House as President Carter announced that American hostages
were to be released by Iran. Daniel Bernath was also the
Publicity
picture of future California attorney Daniel Bernath (standing) and
future Illinois attorney Steven K. Silverman, news reporters at WOKY,
Milwaukee 1976
After
serving the required five years as a lawyer and counselor at law was admitted as
a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court in 1990. But, he
still considers himself a small town "country lawyer."
In
a previous life, Daniel Bernath was a traffic light in front of
the "Old Bailey."
Appointed
as a judge pro tem of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles Municipal
Court and Culver City Municipal Court, Bernath has judged hundreds of matters
and as an arbitrator for the Superior Court, judged over 130 complex cases.
een read and seen by
hundreds of millions of people around the world from the
Times of London, the Associated Press, Newsweek, USA
Today, ABC News, NBC News, NBC's The Today Show, CBS Radio
Network, the Oprah Winfrey Show,
Legal Times, the U.S. Navy Photography Retention Center, U.S.S. Yorktown Sea V Ten
magazine 
News, Winfrey, exhibited and viewed annually by 600,000
visitors to Patriot's Point South Carolina Naval Aviation History Museum,
etc., it is estimated that 300 million people have seen Bernath's photographs.
Bernath also trains fellow photographer journalists in a style that is both time
efficient and produces elegant photographs.
Daniel Bernath is a
member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States in Portland
Oregon, 
After
our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, Bernath sought to protect his
country again and became an officer with the US Department of Homeland
Security/Transportation Security Administration where he searched for bombs and
improvised explosive devises in luggage.
Dan
Bernath's duties as an Officer of the Transportation Security
Administration of the US Department of
Homeland Security received praise and thanks on the floor of the
He is a photographer, lawyer, publisher and journalist
and loved to ride his Honda Shadow 750cc in sun, rain, ice, hot or cold.