Ronald William Iberg

A Celebration of Life with Military Honors will be held at the CenTex Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in San Marcos, Texas, on November 21, 2026, at 2 pm. His ashes will be interred at a later date at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.

Ron Iberg was born in Fairfield, Iowa, in 1934 to Edith and Adolph Iberg. His parents built and ran the 212 Service Station and Clover Farms store in Marengo, Iowa, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s. Ron graduated from Marengo High School in 1953. In 1955, he married Charlotte Shaull of Marengo at the Presbyterian Church in Marengo.

That same year, Ron entered the United States Air Force as a cadet, training in San Antonio, Texas. After the wedding, the couple was stationed at Perrin AFB, Texas, and Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, where Ron trained in the PA-18, T-6, T-28, and T-33, with advanced training in the F-86D. He went on to serve in the U.S., Japan, West Germany, and Thailand, flying the F-4 Phantom, F-106, F-105, F-104, F-102, F-86, T-33, and T-39 Sabreliner.

Ron served 20 years as a Tactical Fighter Pilot, including flying lead on 128 missions over North Vietnam in 1967-1968 out of Ubon AFB, Thailand. Over his USAF career, he was awarded the Silver Star, Air Medal with ten Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star, Air Force Longevity Service Award with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award.

Ron and Charlotte's first child, daughter Kim, was born in 1958 while they were serving at Itazuke AFB, Japan. Their son Doug was born in 1962 at Duluth AFB, Minnesota. The family's tours of duty also included George AFB, California, and Hahn AFB, West Germany. The Ibergs returned to the U.S. in 1972 and settled in Austin, where Ron and Charlotte bought their first home. It remained the family residence until 2022, when Ron and Charlotte moved to a senior assisted living residence. Ron completed his career at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, retiring in 1974.

In the early years, especially after each change of Air Force Base assignment, the Ibergs returned to Marengo, Iowa, for a vacation before settling into their new housing, at a new base. These visits kept them close to family on both sides and to the community and friendships they had long held there. After Ron's retirement, the trips began from Austin, often in a rented or borrowed 4-seater airplane. Each arrival was announced as Ron circled Marengo and tipped the wings, a signal for relatives to come collect them, usually at Paul Hursh’s* or John Tibben’s landing strips. These visits were important family bonding events, giving Kim and Doug the chance to know relatives and family friends from whom they were otherwise separated for most of their formative years. *As a teenager, Ron learned to fly with Paul in one of his crop dusters.

After returning to Texas, Ron began a 38-year volunteer career in 1975 as a pilot with the Commemorative Air Force (CAF). His roles included chief jet pilot, performer, and trainer, and he often worked alongside fellow devotees as a maintenance, parts acquisition, mechanical repair, and diagnostic expert. He held numerous administrative positions in the CenTex Wing and kept annual membership in many other wings in Texas and across the U.S. In the mid-1970s, he flew with the CenTex Wing during the filming of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, piloting the Grumman TBM Avenger on camera, and went on to take part in other film productions.

During his years with the CAF, Ron flew more than 400 airshow performances before the public and FAA, in 30 different types of jet and piston-powered warbirds. His flight experience included 900 hours in the F-86 and 5,000 in jet fighters, among a total of 8,500 hours. Many more performances followed over the next 18 years, including formation flying, aerobatics in vintage jet fighters and propeller aircraft, reenactments, and static displays for the entertainment and education of the public. He ferried vintage aircraft around the world for private owners and CAF wings, including a mission that brought a warbird out of the jungles of Belize and back to the United States.

His breadth of experience made him a rare pilot, trainer, and aircraft mechanical diagnostician. Ron also held an FAA Commercial Pilot certificate with Airplane Single-Engine Land and Sea ratings and was a certified Multi-Engine and Instrument Instructor, qualified to teach other pilots to handle twin-engine aircraft and to fly by instruments alone, through clouds and darkness, with no horizon to trust. His flying crossed the Atlantic: he piloted aircraft on both the American and British registers.

At any given time, he held Letters of Authorization for no fewer than 10 jet fighters and all models of high-performance propeller-driven aircraft, along with a low-level aerobatic competency endorsement from the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He was also an authorized pilot for solo and formation aerobatics in the North American F-86 Sabre, Vought F4U Corsair, Fouga CM.170 Magister, PZL TS-11 Iskra, Aero L-29 Delfín, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, Bell P-39 Airacobra, North American P-51 Mustang, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Hispano HA-200 Saeta, Hawker Sea Fury, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, North American T-6 Texan, de Havilland Vampire, and de Havilland Venom. To military readers, these credentials reflect the discipline and precision of service aviation. To the wider world, they show a lifetime devoted to the craft: certified to fly, certified to teach, and trusted with living history.

Ron's 38 years of flying service with the CAF ended when he climbed out of the cockpit at the age of 76. He continued to support and mentor at the CenTex Wing until 2015.

He was a proud member of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (River Rats), VFW, DAV, and many other clubs and aviation associations.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Edith and Adolph, and sister Eleanor Jean.

He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Charlotte Iberg; daughter Kim Iberg and her spouse Tom Viets; son Doug Iberg and his spouse Michael Dupree; grandson Brett Macken; brother John Iberg and his former spouse Luella Iberg; niece Sheila Iberg Long and her spouse Tom Long; nephew Bryan Iberg and his spouse Cally Iberg; cousin Kathy Nopolous and her spouse Pete Nopolous; and many great-nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be given to the CenTex Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

The family of Ron Iberg wishes to extend sincere thanks to Argent Court Senior Residence and Aspen Hospice for their respectful and loving care.