Delmer Berg, American veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Died at 100

Einsley Delmer “Del” Berg was born on December 20, 1915, and died on February 28, 2016, in Columbia, Tuolumne County, California.

He was an American soldier and union organizer.

He also volunteered to serve with the XV International Brigade (nicknamed Brigada Abraham Lincoln (the Abraham Lincoln Brigade)) during the Spanish Civil War.

Delmer started serving as a union organizer in the 1950s, and, in a 2007 interview, described the steps he took to discourage the attention of Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.

He became an official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), when he was elected the Vice President of the Stanislaus County branch.

During a 2007 interview with the Union Democrat Delmer described delivering a petition to the racist county sheriff, demanding his resignation.

Delmer described testifying at a hearing in Washington, D.C. on farm conditions as a representative of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee.

When his comrades died Delmer Berg was sought out for more frequent interviews.

His determination to volunteer to travel to a foreign country to fight fascism has been described as symbolic and inspirational.

Delmer Berg was interviewed for an episode of the PBS show History Detectives to provide background about the experience of American volunteers when a segment was focused around an artifact from the Spanish Civil War.

Berg lived in Columbia, California, in 2007.

Delmer Berg passed away at 100 yrs old.