David Mark Berger
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220057530
2008-06-18T02:20:39Z
Good Olfactory
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Removed category "Israeli murder victims"; Quick-adding category "Israeli people murdered abroad" (using [[WP:HOTCAT|HotCat]])
{{otherpersons2|David Berger}}
'''David Mark Berger''' ([[June 24]], [[1944]] – [[September 6]], [[1972]]) was an [[United States|American]]-born [[weightlifting|weightlifter]] for the [[Israel|Israeli]] [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] team in 1972. A lawyer by education, Berger was one of 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team who were taken hostage and subsequently murdered by [[Arab]] terrorists at the [[1972 Summer Olympics|Munich Olympic Games]].
Berger was born in [[Shaker Heights, Ohio|Shaker Heights]], [[Ohio]] to wealthy parents. A noted student-athlete, he attended [[Tulane University]] from 1962 to 1966 where he was an honor student and a weightlifter. While a junior at Tulane, he won the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] weightlifting title in the 148-pound class. Berger earned a [[bachelor's degree]] in psychology from Tulane in 1966. He earned a [[master's degree]] in business administration and a doctor of laws degree from [[Columbia University]]. In addition to working toward his degrees, Berger was able to devote time to weightlifting, competing as a light-heavyweight. His father, Benjamin, was once quoted as saying, “I used to tell him ‘You may not be the best weightlifter in the world, but you’re certainly the smartest!’”
After competing in the [[1969 Maccabiah Games]], where he won a gold medal in the middleweight weight-lifting contest, Berger emigrated to Israel, intending to open a law office in [[Tel Aviv]] after completing his compulsory military service. He met and become engaged to an Israeli student. Continuing his weightlifting competitions, he won a [[silver medal]] at the 1971 [[Asian Games]], and made the 1972 Israeli Olympic team. In late August of that year, Berger flew to Munich with his teammates. On September 2, 1972, Berger competed, but was eliminated in an early round.
==Death ==
Early on the morning of September 5, 1972, [[Palestinian]] [[terrorist]]s took Berger and his five roommates hostage, after having earlier seized six officials in another apartment and wounding wrestling coach [[Moshe Weinberg]] in the face. While the athletes were being moved to the first apartment, Weinberg grappled with the intruders, allowing flyweight wrestler [[Gad Tsobari]] to escape but resulting in Weinberg’s death by gunfire. As the remaining hostages and terrorists entered the officials’ apartment, weightlifter [[Yossef Romano]] also attempted to overpower the intruders. Romano was cut nearly in half by automatic fire (his corpse was left all day at the feet of the hostages, who were tied to beds), and Berger was shot in his left shoulder, a wound seen by German officials later in the day. It is believed that Berger, being physically one of the largest of the hostages, was also beaten in order to intimidate the other hostages.
After all-day negotiations, the terrorists and their tied-up hostages were transferred from the Olympic Village via helicopter to [[Fürstenfeldbruck]] airbase outside of [[Munich]], where the terrorists believed they would be flown to a friendly Arab nation. Instead, the German border guards and Munich police attempted to ambush the terrorists and free the hostages. After a two-hour gunfight, one of the terrorists turned on the helicopter in which Berger was sitting and sprayed it with machine-gun fire. The other three hostages in the helicopter were killed instantly, but somehow Berger only received two non-lethal wounds in his legs. However, the terrorist then detonated a [[hand grenade]] inside the helicopter, causing a huge explosion and fire. An autopsy found that Berger had died of [[smoke inhalation]]. The five hostages in the other helicopter were all shot to death by another terrorist.
While the 10 other Israeli Olympians were flown to and buried in Israel, David Berger’s body was returned to the United States on an Air Force jet personally ordered by President [[Richard Nixon]]. Berger is buried in his hometown of Shaker Heights.
{{details|:Munich Massacre}}
==Memorials==
*[[David Berger National Memorial]] in [[Beachwood, Ohio]] honors the memory of Berger and his fallen teammates.
*In 2002, [[New Orleans]] renamed "Avenger Field," located in [[Audubon Park, New Orleans|Audubon Park]], "David Berger - Avenger Field" in memory of Berger and the other victims of terrorism."<ref>[http://www2.tulane.edu/article_news_details.cfm?ArticleID=6294 "Green Threads on the Red Carpet"] ''New Wave'', Tulane University. March 1, 2006</ref>
*The [[Shaker Heights High School]] weight room is named after Berger.
*The David Berger Memorial Weightlifting Tournament is held every year at the Lost Battalion Hall in Rego Park, Queens, NY.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.starofdavid44.com/ David Mark Berger website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, David}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:1972 deaths]]
[[Category:Israeli weightlifters]]
[[Category:American weightlifters]]
[[Category:Deaths by smoke inhalation]]
[[Category:Jewish American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Jewish weightlifters]]
[[Category:Murdered sportspeople]]
[[Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio]]
[[Category:Tulane University alumni]]
[[Category:Weightlifters at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:American immigrants to Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli terrorism victims]]
[[Category:Israeli people taken hostage]]
[[Category:Terrorism deaths in Germany]]
[[Category:Israeli people murdered abroad]]
[[de:David Mark Berger]]