William C. Borgstadt served in the 390th Air Service Group.
William Calvin Borgstadt, also known as Billy C. Borgstadt, entered Central Missouri
State Teachers College in September 22, 1941 and enlisted as an Army reservist,
December 1, 1942. Twenty of the Army Reservists at CMSTC were ordered to report to
Jefferson Barracks April 1, 1943. After being stationed at Ft. Belvoir, VA ,he reported to
Georgetown University for reclassification in the Army Specialized Training Program.
Later he attended an Army engineering school at the City University of New York.
His organization listed on his honorable discharge was “509 Composite Group.” When
he served on Tinian, in the Marianas , his speciality was listed as “Clerk Typist 405.” He
departed for Tinian May 6, 1945 and arrived there May 29, 1945. His departure from
Tinian was October 17, 1945, arriving back in the US Nov. 4, 1945. His overseas
service is listed as 5 months and 29 days.
He separated from the service February 7, 1946, at AAF Separation Base, Lowry Field,
Colorado. Decorations and citations include: Good Conduct Medal; American Theater
Ribbon; Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon; and World War II Victory Medal. His highest
rank achieved was Corporal.
He was a lifelong learner, and maintained an interest in the events and historical
repercussions of the of August 1945. Books that he recommended people read when
interested included: Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Physical, Medical and Social Effects
of the Atomic Bombings; Day of the Bomb: Countdown to Hiroshima by Kurzman; Enola
Gay: Mission to Hiroshima by Thomas; AF Combat Units of WWII, USAF Historical
Division, Air University; and Mushroom Cloud of Hiroshima – Fshing 7 km from the Blast
(Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc.). He also owned a copy of Hiroshima by John
Hersey, which is still in the family.
Biography:
He was born in Aullville, Missouri, near Concordia, MO, January 26, 1924, to parents
William (Will) Borgstadt and Jennie Borgstadt (nee Strader.) In college Bill received a
Batchelor of Education in the Industrial Arts, and taught shop at high schools in the
Greater Kansas City area for many decades. He passed away in October of 1991 and
his cremains are buried in the Higginsville City Cemetery., Higginsville, MO. When his
niece, Louise Sanders Echelmeier, wrote about him in 2000, she wrote: “Bill and his
company had been told that their mission was to end the war. Bill and others did not
know how the war would end.”
Respectfully submitted on July 23, 2023 by Susan A. Echelmeier, one of his great
nieces.