Harvey A. Berger graduated from Halstead High School in 1924, and from the College of Emporia (KS) in 1929. After Harvey's graduation from college he was almost always involved in some branch of air transport work. He was a United airlines pilot, and a reserve officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces, at the time he was called to active duty in March 1942.

He went overseas on 15 May 1942 and saw much action over India, Africa and in the European Theater of Operations. his last mission was one in which he carried paratroops over Germany.

On 3 April 1945, Colonel Berger was serving with Headquarters Company, 316th Troop Carrier Group as the Group Commander. That day he was on what he considered to be a 'milk run' a flight carrying cans of gasoline into Germany. His reason for taking the flight was because he wanted to see, from the air, the town where his mother was born. Near Cologne, his aircraft was hit by ground fire and the plane caught on fire. The plane crash landed in a plowed field and all the crew members, except Colonel Berger, were able to get clear of the burning. His crew believed that he perished in the fire.