From FAG Contributor (48021049) •
4 BROTHERS KILLED IN COMBAT. 2 WERE TWINS
BORGSTROM BROTHERS
The Borgstrom brothers were four siblings killed over a six-month period during World War II. They were the sons of Alben and Gunda Borgstrom of Thatcher, Utah. The brothers were:

LeRoy Elmer Borgstrom, 30 (born April 30, 1914, died June 22, 1944), U.S. Army
Clyde Eugene Borgstrom, 28 (born February 15, 1916, died March 17, 1944), U.S. Marine Corps
Rolon Day Borgstrom, 19 (born May 5, 1925, died August 8, 1944), U.S. Army Air Forces
Rulon Jay Borgstrom, 19 (born May 5, 1925, died August 26, 1944), U.S. Army Air Forces

History
Alben and Gunda Borgstrom were the parents of ten children, seven of whom were boys. Six of the boys graduated from Bear River High School in Garland, Utah. Before the United States' involvement in World War II, one of the sons died from a ruptured appendix. When the U.S. entered the war, five of the remaining brothers enlisted or were drafted into the military: Boyd, LeRoy Elmer, Clyde, Rolon, and Rulon.

While clearing an air strip on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Clyde was killed by a falling tree in March 1944. Three months later, LeRoy Elmer was killed in Italy. In August, Rolon died after a bombing raid over Germany. His twin brother, Rulon, who was initially reported missing, died 17 days later from wounds received in an attack on Le Dreff near Brest, France.

When Rulon went missing, the Borgstrom family, with help from neighbors and the Utah congressional delegation, successfully petitioned for Boyd, the last Borgstrom son in the military, to be released from service. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the United States and discharged by special order of the Marine Corp's commandant. Eldon, sometimes spelled Elton, who was not yet of enlistment age in 1944, was also exempted from military service.

It took almost four years after the four brothers' deaths for their bodies to be returned to Utah by the American Graves Registration Service. A funeral service for the four brothers was then held in the LDS Church's Garland Tabernacle in Garland, Utah on June 25, 1948. Clarence E. Smith, former principal of Bear River High School, Utah Governor Herbert B. Maw, LDS Church President George Albert Smith, and General Mark W. Clark spoke at the funeral. Rear Admiral John R. Redman, Major General LeRoy P. Hunt, and Brigadier General Ned Schramm were in attendance. The brothers were then buried side-by-side in the Riverview Cemetery in Tremonton, Utah.

During the funeral service, the brothers were posthumously awarded three Bronze Star Medals, one Air Medal, and one Good Conduct Medal. According to Colonel Leonard R. Crews, "commanding officer of the Sixth Army escort detachment at Ogden," the Borgstrom family was the "only four-star Gold Star family on record in World War II." (The Sullivan brothers—all of whom were killed in the same incident in World War II—were a five-star Gold Star family.)
The loss of four of the Borgstrom brothers, along with the loss of all five Sullivan brothers, led to the official adoption of the Sole Survivor Policy in 1948.
Legacy
The Salt Lake Tribune reported in November 1944 that the deaths of the four Borgstrom brothers resulted in "the armed services rul[ing] special consideration will be given any family in which two or more sons have been killed and only one member in service survives." Even though the article was published a few years before the Sole Survivor Policy was enacted (1948), the deaths of the Borgstrom brothers, along with the deaths of the Sullivan brothers and others, may have contributed to the development of said policy.
In April 1959, the Army honored the Borgstrom brothers by naming a reserve training center in Ogden, Utah in their honor. In August 2001, a soldiers' memorial was dedicated in Tremonton, Utah, which had the images and names of the brothers in a place of prominence
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USAAF WORLD WAR II
SGT. Rolon D. Borgstrom KIA
Hometown: Tremonton, Utah
Squadron: 506th Sq. 44th Bomb Group
Service# 39917713
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart
Pilot Sgt. Rolon D. Borgstrom Gunner KIA

Target: La Perth Romilly, France
Mission Date: 8-Aug-44
Serial Number: #42-50328
Aircraft Model B-24
Aircraft Letter:Bar-D,
Aircraft Name: PREGNANT PEG-This aircraft was also known as FLYING LOG.
Location: 2 miles northeast of the base near Yaxham.
Cause: engine failure Crew of 10 10KIA

The target was hit visually with excellent results. Our fighters provided excellent coverage. However, one 506th Squadron aircraft went down shortly after the target. The crew was observed to bail our approximately 60 miles east of Paris.

A second aircraft and crew was lost by the 506th Squadron . This second aircraft was one of the eight sent out on the mission to La Perth by the 506th Squadron, but was forced to abort.

As this aircraft had no survivors, there is very little available information about this aircraft and crew. The 506th records only briefly state that, "Bad day for our Squadron as we lost two crews and ships. Lt. Jacobs and crew, in #328, crashed near our field due to engine failures and burst into flames. All crew members being lost..."
The 44th BG Operational Report for August probably clarifies the situation. It states, in part: "The other aircraft aborted [from the mission] because of mechanical reasons [engines?] and returned to the field. While flying the traffic pattern, the aircraft suddenly spun in and crashed with a full load of bombs [6 x 1000 lb.] on board. All crew members perished."
The crash site was 2 miles northeast of the base near Yaxham.

PREGNANT PEG Crew
2nd/Lt. Myron G. Jacobs KIA Pilot
2nd/Lt. Howard K. Harmon Co Pilot KIA
2nd/Lt. Frederick F. McDaris Navigator KIA
2nd/Lt. Kenneth P. Ward Bombardier KIA
S/Sgt. Emil L. Grogg Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Emil L. Grogg Engineer KIA
S/Sgt. Jack V Whalen Radio Op. KIA
S/Sgt. Robert J. Bell Gunner KIA
S/Sgt. Karl D. Breakey Gunner KIA
Sgt. Rolon D. Borgstrom Gunner KIA