Bernhardt was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he was adopted by Navy Damage Control Officer 'Red' Bernhardt and wife Beverly. Years there were spent at an African-American elementary school (Turie T. Small), as part of the integration which continued in the late 1960s. His family relocated to a trailer park in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, where he divided his time after school - between working with his grandfather as a lumberjack, and becoming an Eagle Scout.