George Berg

He rescued wounded soldiers under fire at El Caney

George Francis Berg was born in Mount Erie, Illinois, on 2 December 1868. He served in Company C, 17th U.S. Infantry, during the Spanish-American War. The Army originally recorded his surname as Burg and later corrected it to Berg.

On 1 July 1898, near El Caney, Cuba, Berg went forward of the American lines under enemy fire to help recover wounded men. The regiment's history identifies him among the soldiers who went to the aid of their wounded commanding officer. Berg received the Medal of Honor for his part in the rescue.

He subsequently served with the 17th Infantry in the Philippines. A period photograph identifies him as a corporal at a Medal of Honor ceremony at San Fernando alongside two soldiers from the same El Caney rescue. Berg eventually attained the rank of master sergeant. He died in Washington, D.C., on 27 November 1945 and is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in South Portland, Maine.

Medal of Honor citation

Gallantly assisted in the rescue of the wounded from in front of the lines and while under heavy fire of the enemy.