Russell Allan Berg

Brig. Gen. Russell Allan Berg, USAF (Ret), born in Chicago, Illinois, January 6, 1917, to Blenda and Werner Berg, died Thursday, January 24, 2002, in San Antonio. He resided at The Towers on Park Lane at the time of his death. Brig. Gen. Berg received his BS degree from Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA in 1940 and immediately thereafter joined the Army Air Corps and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Pilot in March, 1941 at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama and attended various military schools, including the National War College in Washington, DC (1956-1957). His USAF assignments included Squadron and Group Commander in WW II (Europe); and Wing Commander in Korea. He also had a short tour in Vietnam. He flew several combat missions in both conventional and Jet type Reconnaissance Aircraft. He also flew the Spitfire aircraft while assigned as an exchange pilot to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command. He was the USAF Project Officer for the design, development and production phases of the U-2 Aircraft. This was followed by a tour in NATO (Europe) in 1957-60 and upon his return., he was assigned to various USAF Space activities until his retirement during August, 1970. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with 8 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the Presidential Unit Citation with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the RAF Distinguished Flying Cross with Bar and the French and Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm. He and Joan (Mortrude) met while attending Grinnell College and were married in 1946. They have a daughter, Marilee Henneberger, who with her husband, John, live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Their son, Thomas Lee Berg and his wife, Lucy, live in Northern, New Jersey. Tom is a Captain with United Air Lines. Joan and Russ have 6 grandchildren, Adam, Erika, Kirsten and Alexis Berg, also Joy and John Henneberger, Jr. GRAVESIDE SERVICE TUESDAY 9:45 A.M. FT. SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY with Full Military Honors, the Rev. Ray Whitfield officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to a favorite charity. Arrangements with Porter Loring Mortuary.