Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons

WHO
WE ARE

ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU

EVENTS
& NEWS

RESOURCES
& LINKS

BECOME
INVOLVED


DONATE

James Alfred Berg
(August 21, 1951 - September 17, 1987)

(From the November 1987 issue of Affinity)

James Alfred Berg, who until last year was in charge of print media relations for the U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon, died September 17, 1987, from complications associated with AIDS. He was 36. Jim was the founder of the Washington DC Chapter of Affirmation.

Jim Berg was born in Longview, Washington, Aug. 21, 1951 to Warren and Mabel Berg, and studied theatre lighting at the University of Washington, earning a B.A. degree. After joining the Air Force in 1973, he earned an M.A. degree in communications at the University of Southern California. He later was stationed at air force bases in California and Germany before being transferred to his Pentagon post in 1984.

While living in the D.C. area, Jim headed the Presbyterians for Lesbian & Gay Concerns, and later joined Affirmation. Jim received a medical discharge from the Air Force last year after testing positive for the AIDS antibody. He had achieved the rank of Captain. He was not diagnosed with AIDS until April of this year, when he developed Kaposi's sarcoma.

Jim moved to the Los Angeles area last year after being discharged and was hospitalized at the V.A. Hospital in Los Angeles where he died. He is survived by Bud Hicks, his lover of two years, his parents, one brother and two sisters.

Affirmation extends deepest sympathy to Jim's family and friends, and we greatly appreciate the support and love that Bud extended to our brother.

Tribute by José Seguin Clavell

Jim and I met in 1982 in Kaiserslautern Germany in a Club when he came over to me and invited me for a drink. He was stationed in Ramstein Air Force Base at the time and had a nice apartment in Kottweiler-Schwanden. We became good friends and had great fun going out together on the weekends. During the day when we were off work, we used to visit places. We knew he had to leave Germany to go on a assignment to the US.

Helping him pack some stuff at his place, he showed me some socks he bought in China. I kept those as a memory. I'll never forget because he thought they were so ugly!

Jim visited me a year later for a very short time. And he wrote me letters. Bud called me to tell me that Jim had passed away, and told me that Jim had try to phone me a couple times two days ago. I remember the phone ringing in the middle of the night! Had I answered it… I always feel bad about not have done so.

I have a picture from us and a friend dressed in 19th Century military uniform that we took at an adventure park once. I recently put it up on the wall again when I moved last year from Kaiserslautern to Heidelberg.

Jim is forever in our hearts!

José Seguin Clavell
Germany

Please add your own tribute by sending an email to James Kent.