{"id":195102,"date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=195102"},"modified":"2024-06-07T01:00:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T01:00:45","slug":"100-year-old-wwii-veterans-story-lives-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=195102","title":{"rendered":"100-year-old WWII veteran\u2019s story lives on"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>

\n 1 \/ 4<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n A collage of highlights of Al Torborg’s military service is displayed during a birthday party April 13, 2024; Torborg turned 100 years old on April 15, 2024. Current 35th Inf. Div. Commanding General John Rueger sent Torborg a division coin and letter of recognition on behalf of the division to celebrate the occasion and honor his service with Baker Company, 230th Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, as a combat medic during World War II.
\n (Photo Credit: Courtesy)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"100-year-old
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 2 \/ 4<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Al Torborg poses with three of his children during a birthday party April 13, 2024; Torborg turned 100 years old on April 15, 2024. Current 35th Inf. Div. Commanding General John Rueger sent Torborg a division coin and letter of recognition on behalf of the division to celebrate the occasion and honor his service with Baker Company, 230th Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, as a combat medic during World War II.
\n (Photo Credit: Courtesy)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"100-year-old
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 3 \/ 4<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n Al Torborg poses with his grandchildren during a birthday party April 13, 2024; Torborg turned 100 years old on April 15, 2024. Current 35th Inf. Div. Commanding General John Rueger sent Torborg a division coin and letter of recognition on behalf of the division to celebrate the occasion and honor his service with Baker Company, 230th Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, as a combat medic during World War II.
\n (Photo Credit: Courtesy)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n \"100-year-old
\n <\/a>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n 4 \/ 4<\/span>
\n
\n Show Caption +<\/span>
\n Hide Caption \u2013<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n
\n
\n A certificate of appreciation for Al Torborg’s military service is displayed during a birthday party April 13, 2024; Torborg turned 100 years old on April 15, 2024. Current 35th Inf. Div. Commanding General John Rueger sent Torborg a division coin and letter of recognition on behalf of the division to celebrate the occasion and honor his service with Baker Company, 230th Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, as a combat medic during World War II.
\n (Photo Credit: Courtesy)<\/span>
\n <\/span>
\n VIEW ORIGINAL<\/a>
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

As the world pauses today to recognize the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the simultaneous landing of US, British, and Canadian forces on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, the mood this year is much more somber than usual. Although D-Day remembrances have always been solemn, this year is likely the last major anniversary that will be commemorated with veterans who lived through it. It is a discomforting thought to many, who, having grown up learning about World War II, reading about it in history books, and hearing stories from their parents or grandparents, and, having recognized the magnitude of the war and its consequences, are dismayed by the idea that the stories of the war and those who lived it might someday be forgotten.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one reason why, in 2016, Dennis Wolf approached his uncle Al Torborg, then 92 years old, to collaborate on a project to record his memories of his experiences as a combat medic with the 35th Infantry Division and Third Army during WWII.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember as a kid he would tell me about WWII,\u201d said Wolf. \u201cHe would tell me about meeting Patton. And he would tell me about his experiences coming across dead soldiers that had been hit by artillery\u2026 I didn\u2019t know if he really wanted to talk more about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

But as it turned out, Torborg was open to the idea. Wolf – who lives in Oregon – would call Torborg – who lives in Minnesota – and talk on the phone with a recorder running. Wolf later transcribed the interviews into a memoir, adding some additional history and writings about the experiences of soldiers of the 35th Inf. Div. and 320th Regiment (Torborg\u2019s regiment).<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at this point in our history, it\u2019s important that the stories are told,\u201d said Wolf, an Army veteran himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a medic, maybe he treated some of these soldiers that were wounded and they survived to come back and live lives, get married and have children, and grandchildren,\u201d said Wolf. \u201cTheir children and grandchildren will know what their grandpa did in the war, but they won\u2019t know what Al did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Al\u2019s WWII story began when he was drafted in May of 1943 at 19 years old. He was sent to Camp Robinson, Ark., where half the group was assigned to attend training to become medics and half was assigned to attend armor training. Torborg was in the group that was selected to be medics.<\/p>\n

After initial training, he spent 11 and a half days crossing the Atlantic on a transport ship in the spring of 1945 under the threat of German U-Boats, which sunk four other transports after the convoy moved out of the range of cover for air support. He arrived in England around the time of the D-Day invasion and worked in a hospital treating wave after wave of casualties. It wasn\u2019t long until he was notified that he was going to France. In July of 1944, he was sent across the English Channel to Saint-L\u00f4 to replace the last combat medic of Baker Company, 230th Regiment, 35th Infantry Division, who had recently been killed in action.<\/p>\n

Torborg stayed with Baker Company through the fighting at Saint-L\u00f4 in the fall of 1944, Bastogne in the winter of 1944-1945, and to the Elbe River during the lead up to the liberation of Berlin in the spring of 1945.<\/p>\n

His memoir recount stories of treating wounded Allied soldiers and French and German civilians, encountering prisoner of war camps, and being so close to the front lines that he could exchange words with German medics treating their own wounded soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember sometimes I would be out running around treating wounded and I could see the German medic doing the same,\u201d recalled Torborg. \u201cOften I would talk with the German medic to let him know what I did to his soldiers and he would tell me what he\u2019s done to my American soldiers. In that way we sort of worked together. It struck me as odd at first, but the German medic and I had a kind of kinship in that we only wanted to help the wounded, it did not matter what uniform they wore.\u201d<\/p>\n

He tells harrowing stories about surviving white phosphorus attacks, artillery and Tiger tanks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could hear it zing through the air,\u201d said Torborg of the artillery. \u201cAnd then sometimes I would hear, \u201cDoc, I\u2019m hit.\u201d And \u201cit\u2019s so hot.\u201d The men are yelling, \u201cI\u2019m burning up.\u201d Those bombs killed and wounded so many men. All a person could do was hope he\u2019s not next. It was a constant fear. Often we would overrun the areas that we hit with artillery and there would be a lot of dead Germans. The Germans most of the time took their wounded with them as they retreated but they left the dead lay. Although sometimes if we advanced real quick we would find some wounded and we\u2019d take care of them because they\u2019re out of the picture anyway, they\u2019re harmless. You kind of feel sorry for them because it could be you lying there. The war is over for them. And they\u2019d tell us too. They\u2019d say, \u201cThis war is over for me, but you have to keep fighting.\u201d Those Germans were glad to be done. See, in a strange way there\u2019s a lot of compassion on the battlefield. We all knew the next time it could be you. They were our enemy, yet we had a respect and understanding for what they were going through because we were experiencing it too. It\u2019s hard to explain. Anyway, we just kept moving forward, always forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also includes some more lighthearted stories about surviving K rations and cold showers and recalled times the soldiers used grenades to go fishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe grenade would blow and all the fish would float to the top. You had to be careful though because if you threw the grenade too close to the fish it would blow the fish to pieces, then you had nothing. This sounds crazy but the thought of fresh fish fried up was very inspiring. We would fry them up and I always tried to fry up some American fries as well for the men. It tasted so good. You can\u2019t imagine how big of a treat it was for soldiers on the front line. Experiences like this were bonding for us. Well eventually the locals had enough of this and complained so much to General Patton that we were taking their fish that General Patton put out an order to \u201cleave the fish alone,\u201d so that ended that. No more fish fries for us!\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing Torborg liked to remember was having met General George Patton, commander of Third Army, on several occasions. \u201cI think the biggest reason we liked Patton was because he cared about the enlisted man,\u201d Torborg recounted. Torborg also remembered Patton as a fair disciplinarian who empowered his non-commissioned officers and who inspired confidence and respect in his troops. \u201cWhen Third Army moves, we make headlines,\u201d Torborg remembered Patton always saying.<\/p>\n

After the fall of Berlin, the 230th Regiment returned to England, and from there, travelled home to America. The 35th Division left South Hampton, England on September 5th and arrived in New York City on September 10th \u2013 the war in Europe was over!<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came up the Hudson River and the captain told us, \u201cLook straight ahead,\u201d\u201d Torborg recalled. \u201cThere stood the Statue of Liberty. That was kind of nice. Then there was a series of whistles and again, here came the tugboats to bring us into harbor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upon reaching America, Torborg returned home to Minnesota and was discharged from the Army in November of 1945.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

When the 35th Infantry Division learned that Al\u2019s family was throwing him a birthday party to celebrate his turning 100 years old on April 15, 2024, Major General John Rueger, current division commander, said he felt privileged to recognize Al with a coin and letter on behalf of the division.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was deeply honored to recognize the contributions that Sgt. Torborg made to the war effort and the 35th Inf. Div.,\u201d said Rueger. \u201cIt was awe inspiring to read his story. It\u2019s just amazing all the things he\u2019s seen and done. We\u2019re very proud of our history and our lineage and all that those who came before us in the division did.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the sun sets on such an incredible chapter in American history, we can be assured that, thanks to the efforts of a loving family who helped re-tell his story, people will always know what Al Torborg did in the service of his country and his fellow soldiers, ensuring that Al\u2019s story \u2013 and the story of all of our nation\u2019s veterans \u2013 is never forgotten.<\/p>\n

Are you a veteran, or do you know a veteran with a story to share? The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. Visit the Library of Congress\u2019 Veterans History Project at the link below to find out how to submit:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/programs\/veterans-history-project\/about-this-program\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1 \/ 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption \u2013 A collage of highlights of Al Torborg’s military service is displayed during a birthday party April 13, 2024; Torborg turned 100 years old on April 15, 2024. Current 35th Inf. Div. Commanding General John Rueger sent Torborg a division coin and letter of recognition on behalf […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195104,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-195102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=195102"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":195109,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195102\/revisions\/195109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/195104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=195102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=195102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=195102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}