Russell Berg served as a Spitfire pilot with No. 610 Squadron before joining the 10th Photo Recon Group. He became the group's Commanding Officer on 20 June 1944, at age 27



In Germany, he met Val Svoboda, a Latvian who was working as a house keeper for the 10th PRG while they were stationed at Furth Airfield near Nuremberg.[connection unknown]



Berg stayed in the Air Force after the war and commanded the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing during the Korean War. He flew 52 combat missions in jet reconnaissance aircraft and returned to the United States in August 1953 for headquarters duty.



In the later 50's, he was assigned to SHAPE [Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe] Nato, in Fontainbleau, France, for 3 years, just prior to NATO moving to Belgium.



Berg's career segued into a number of US space systems projects, based in California, including being a leader of the MOL [Manned Orbiting Laboratory] program which was cancelled by Congress in 1969 before launching its astronauts into space. Later, he was instrumental in the satellite reconnaissance program which took its place.



After his WW2 service in Europe, Berg spent well over 30 years more in the USAF, his experience and career largely devoted to reconnaissance and keeping an 'eye in and on our skies'.