Fred Borgmann Posted August 25, 2016 Share #1 Posted August 25, 2016 Staff Sergeant Borgmann's Unusual History Born in Dusseldorf Germany in August of 1907, his first military experience was in 1914 when as a boy watching the German troops parade off to war he was picked up by the soldiers and put on one of the horses of a field artillery unit for a short ride. After the war in 1919 he nearly died of starvation during the allied food blockade. His ordeal and recovery left him a deeply religious man. The civil war in Germany between the Communists and the Nazis convinced him that neither side was any good. He finished his training as a baker and immigrated to the United States in 1927. In the U. S. he found that he was allergic to the bleached flour commonly in use and began learning to cook as new trade. He was the cook at St Josephs Hospital and eventually became a chef at some of Milwaukee's finest restaurants. He became a citizen in 1936 and in 1942 at the age of 35 he was drafted into the U.S. Army were he was assigned to the airborne. At 5 feet tall and weighing less than 120 pounds he was the probably one of the oldest and smallest privates in the army. During basic training it was discovered that he was a baker and a chef and after two months as a Private he was promoted to Technician Fourth Grade (three stripes above the letter "T" ) and put in charge of the mess hall. Before shipping out to Europe he was given the option to transfer to a Pacific bound unit because he had three brothers in the German army. He chose to stay and help liberate his homeland. Of his many experiences during the war the following are the most important. When the army was about to capture Dusseldorf the Germans started to shell the Americans with a large railroad gun. The gun had to be silenced but the Germans kept moving and hiding it between shellings. What was left of Dusseldorf would have to be leveled and the order was about to be given when someone remembered that this was Sgt. Shorty's home town. Based on his childhood memories Borgmann pointed out a few locations on the map where there were railroad tunnel entrances. Those locations were blasted and the gun was not heard from again thus saving the lives of countless civilians huddled in the basements of their bombed out homes. (Dusseldorf was 88% destroyed.) Throughout the European Campaign there were always hungry women and children around the army field kitchens begging for food and Sgt. Borgmann always gave away any left over food. This was fine until they crossed the German border when an order came down that from that time on all left over food was to be burned or buried. Sgt. Borgmann refused to obey that order and was charged with a court-martial offense. His Catholic Chaplin wouldn't help and only advised him to obey orders. The Lutheran Chaplin however did all he could to help. In his defense Borgmann paraphrased General Eisenhower's statement that the war was a "Christian Crusade" and then said that as Christians it is our duty to bury the dead, heal the sick and FEED THE HUNGRY ! The charges were dropped and new orders came down permitting Sgt. Borgmann to continue giving away left over food to civilians. As the war came to an end the 101st moved into Berchtesgaden where Sgt. Borgmann found a suitable building to commandeer for the mess staff and then informed the family living there in perfect German that they had to pack up and move out. Not the best way to meet one’s future wife!! In 1948 he returned and married the family's eldest daughter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutiger83 Posted August 25, 2016 Share #2 Posted August 25, 2016 Very nice grouping and write up.....Kat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayhawker353 Posted August 25, 2016 Share #3 Posted August 25, 2016 Great story, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted August 25, 2016 Share #4 Posted August 25, 2016 Great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted August 25, 2016 Share #5 Posted August 25, 2016 Great grouping and a wonderful story. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted August 25, 2016 Share #6 Posted August 25, 2016 Awesome story Fred.Thanks for sharing some family history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted August 25, 2016 Share #7 Posted August 25, 2016 Nice !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted August 26, 2016 Share #8 Posted August 26, 2016 Wow, that was great! Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted August 26, 2016 Share #9 Posted August 26, 2016 Thats a great grouping and story thanks for sharing it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJohn#3RD Posted August 26, 2016 Share #10 Posted August 26, 2016 Fred, Great group and the story behind it is wonderful example of the Circle being unbroken. Was SSG Borgmann able to reconnect with his family he left behind after the war? Thank you for sharing this group and the man who earned the items pictured. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Borgmann Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share #11 Posted August 26, 2016 Thanks everyone for the nice comments. Yes Bigjohn, my dad's twin brothers survived the war. One was in the Luftschutz (anti-aircraft), and one as a POW here in the US. A third brother was wounded in Africa and died when the ship he was evacuated on was sunk. His family parents etc were living in the basement of their house when Dusseldorf was captured. My dad went back to visit both Dusseldorf and Berchtesgaden several times after the war and was the last of his Dusseldorf family when he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Borgmann Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted August 26, 2016 I also have a photo of SSgt Borgmann in uniform 1945 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted August 26, 2016 Share #13 Posted August 26, 2016 Just awesome Fred. Great photo and really like the way he chose to wear the CIB and Glider wing.Do you have his uniform yet?? Really quite a story and the aftermath as well.There should be a movie about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted August 26, 2016 Share #14 Posted August 26, 2016 A fascinating story! Thank you for sharing the story as well as his photo and his medals! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted August 26, 2016 Share #15 Posted August 26, 2016 Fred, One of the most interesting stories I have heard. Thank you very much for sharing this information with us. Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Borgmann Posted August 26, 2016 Author Share #16 Posted August 26, 2016 Thanks guys. Sorry to say that his uniform no longer exists. He used up the parts as work clothes. Striped the patches and insignia off the jacket which then became a jacket for us kids. Later on I got his badges and patches and about 1969-70, before the St. Louis fire, I had his medals sent to him since he was out of the service before the medals were issued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted August 26, 2016 Share #17 Posted August 26, 2016 That is a great story and tribute Fred! Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST Posted August 26, 2016 Share #18 Posted August 26, 2016 Fred, it's always nice to see family items! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhcoleterracina Posted August 26, 2016 Share #19 Posted August 26, 2016 What a great man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aerialbridge Posted August 26, 2016 Share #20 Posted August 26, 2016 Tremendous family history. Thanks for sharing your father's great patriotism and most interesting WW2 service. What a story-book "war-bride" ending! Berchtesgaden is such a beautiful town. Have you gone back there much to visit relatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fstop61 Posted August 26, 2016 Share #21 Posted August 26, 2016 Thanks for posting a fitting tribute an awesome man. You must be extremely proud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted August 27, 2016 Share #22 Posted August 27, 2016 Very cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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