On May 5, 1925, in Thatcher, Utah, Alben and Gunda Borgstrom welcomed twin boys, Rolon and Rulon. They grew up on a sugar beet farm with a large family that consisted of three older brothers, two younger brothers, and three sisters. Though the family sometimes struggled to get by, they were a close-knit group, united by their Norwegian roots and Mormon faith.

On July 21, 1943, twins Rolon and Rulon followed the lead of their three older brothers who had already enlisted and traded their overalls for military fatigues. They had just turned 18 years old. When they departed for basic training, their mother Gunda displayed a service flag with five blue stars in her window signifying the number of boys she had in the war.

After their induction into the Army, Rolon and Rulon went their separate ways. Rulon began his training as an infantryman with the 38th Infantry Division.

1944 would prove to be a devastating year for the Borgstroms. In a little over five months, Alben and Gunda lost three of their five sons who were serving, including Rulon’s twin brother Rolon, who was a B-24 tail gunner and died when his plane crashed in England. Less than a week later, Rulon was reported missing in action somewhere in France.

As Gunda would write: “The news of our loss spread, and due to the efforts of many who acted on our behalf, the plight of our family was brought to the attention of those who had power and authority.”

The Blue Star Mothers organization served as a catalyst to return Boyd and Rolon home. In September, knowing the desperation of Alben and Gunda, they brought the plight of the Borgstrom family directly to the man who could deliver them the relief they badly needed. The Blue Star Mothers petitioned President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

President of the United States of America, Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President,

We the undersigned Blue Star Mothers, American Legion and Legion Auxiliary, the leading business, the Mayor, the Doctor, the Sheriff of Box Elder County, the various Presidents of organizations of the City of Tremonton, friends and neighbors of the family of Alben Borgstrom feel justified in petitioning for the release of:

PFC RULON BORGSTROM 39917677- Co. E, 38th Inf. APO 2 C/O P.M. New York

PFC BOYD C. BORGSTROM 300809 Base Artly, Bn. T.C. 90M.M. A.A. GROUP Bks. 515, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

from Military duty or at the least from overseas duty or at the least from overseas duty due to the fact that the Borgstrom family have sacrificed three sons already to the war effort, namely:

PFC CLYDE E. BORGSTROM, killed at Guadalcanal, March 17, 1944

PFC LEROY E. BORGSTROM, killed in Italy, June 22, 1944

SGT. ROLON D. BORGSTROM, died of wounds in England, Aug. 8, 1944

These repeated shocks have so impaired the health of their Mother so that another such shock might mean her death too, as well as that of the Father.

We feel that they could do essential work here and be serving their country just as faithfully and patriotically as they could abroad and relieve the strain and anxiety of these dear Americans.

With the news of Rulon missing in action, Utah Congressman Walter Keil Granger also pleaded with President Roosevelt to release Rulon’s older brother Boyd Borgstrom. He sent the following telegram:

PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT SEP 30 6 14 PM 1944

THE WHITE HOUSE

REFERRING MY LETTER SEPTEMBER 29 IN BEHALF OF THE ALBEN W BORGSTROM FAMILY OF BOX ELDER COUNTY UTAH HAVE JUST BEEN ADVISED THAT FOURTH SON RULON REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION IN EUROPEAN AREA. FIFTH SON CORPORAL BOYD BORGSTROM LOCATED WITH MARINE CORPS IN NORTH CAROLINA. RESPECTFULLY URGE YOUR KIND CONSIDERATION OF THIS FAMILY IN INSURING THEM OF THE SAFETY OF THEIR ONLY SURVIVING SON IN THE SERVICE.

One of the Borgstrom girls told the local newspaper that her mother Gunda had “all but given up hope for the return of Rulon.” When asked about the wait for news, Alben replied, “Every time somebody comes to the house, we think it might be a telegram about Rulon. We aren’t jittery any more about the others. It’s settled for them.”

On October 26, just one day after PFC Rulon Borgstrom was reported missing in action, an article appeared in several newspapers calling attention to a new policy established by War Secretary Henry L. Stimson. The Fort Worth Star printed the following article;

Services Limit Sacrifices Any Family Has to Bear

Washington, Oct. 26 (CTS)

The services acted Thursday to limit the sacrifice in lives that any family need make to the war. They exempted from combat duty the sole surviving son of any family which has lost two or more sons in action.

The limitation is reported to have been influenced by the case of Mr. and Mrs. Alben Borgstrom of Tremonton, Utah who recently obtained the release of their only surviving son, Pvt. Boyd Borgstrom, from the Marines after three of his brothers had been killed in action and the fourth reported missing.

Lt. Gen. Alexander A. Vandegrift sent Boyd home in response to the parent’s plea. Thursday, Secretary of War Stimson announced the new policy of the War Department. The Navy, learning of the Army’s action, promptly announced an identical policy.

Finally, on November 4, 1944, over a month after Rulon was reported missing in action, the Western Union man delivered the telegram the family dreaded. They learned that Rulon was killed in action in France.

There is little more known about Private First-Class Rulon Borgstrom’s death. What particulars are known were described in the War Department’s Battle Casualty Report:

Report based on report of burial. Soldier buried on 26 August 44 at St. James Cemetery France plot F row 1 grave 20. Unit advises soldier last seen about 1600 hours 25 August 44 when platoon came under heavy mortar fire. When platoon moved forward soldier remained lying on the ground apparently wounded. No further information other than report of burial is available.

Any additional details about Rulon Borgstrom’s service would be lost in a fire that roared through the sixth floor of the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri in 1973. When the flames were finally extinguished, eighty percent of the U.S. Army’s personnel files for service members dating from 1912 to 1960 was nothing more than a mountain of smoldering ashes.

PCF Rulon Borgstrom was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal in recognition of his valiant service.

This profile was written by Mark Hutson, who is in the process of writing a biography of the Borgstrom brothers. You will be able to find details about its availability at: https://serviceflagtradition.com.

Rulon Borgstrom is buried at Riverview Cemetery in Tremonton, Utah.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Additional references: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/182930/rulon-jay-borgstrom

Rulon J Borgstrom