On a beautiful June morning after a joint drill with his two favorite fire districts, Mist-Birkenfeld and Clatskanie, Nick died. He had spent the night before working on establishing a dry hydrant system and helping with a water tender drill. It was a great evening for him, spent with good friends and topped off by an impromptu photo that captured him in a very happy moment.

Nicholas Berg was born in 1946, the fourth child of Robert and Isabelle Anderson Berg. He spent his childhood on the farm in Birkenfeld, Oregon. After graduation, he was drafted into the 9th Infantry and sent to Viet Nam, where he spent time with the Brown Water Navy in the Mekong Delta. He earned a Purple Heart and other combat medals. He was proud of his service and carried many lessons from the battlefield throughout his life.

On his return home, he married Ann and raised four very satisfactory children. He also began a life in the logging industry and was a member of Associated Oregon Loggers from the organization’s early years.

In the late 1970s, he joined with other community members to form an ambulance service, the Mist-Birkenfeld Quick Response Unit, which ultimately joined with the Mist-Birkenfeld Fire group to form Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD. At that time, he shifted his focus and began to use the tracking skills learned in hunting and the military to serve the needs of the Wildland Search and Rescue Division for Mist-Birkenfeld Fire. From there he turned his attention to using many of those observation skills in fire investigation, which became his first love in the fire service. Nick was very pleased with his 47 years as a volunteer for Mist-Birkenfeld and fully intended to finish out three more for an even 50.

He enjoyed being part of the fire service brotherhood and was committed to responding day or night to assist agencies in both Clatsop and Columbia Counties. His rewards for that were many. He formed deep friendships across both counties and took great pleasure in knowing that when he arrived on scene, he could contribute in whatever role was assigned. In later years, he became a mentor and father figure on scene and off to younger people as they worked their way into fire and EMS careers.