William Frederick Borer

Bill, as he was called by friends and fellow golfers at the Olde Point Golf & Country Club in Hampstead, attended St. Paul of the Cross Parochial School and William L. Dickinson High School, both in Jersey City, NJ, before entering the U.S. Army in August 1946. Soon after entering the Army, Bill decided to make the Army a lifelong career.

He distinguished himself as he served in many senior positions in Europe and the Far East during his 20 plus years of service with the Army, which included 33 months and 27 days in a POW camp in North Korea, after being combat wounded and captured by the North Koreans on 4 November 1950 at Sinanju, North Korea.

After being released on 1 September 1953 and recuperation at the Valley Forge Army Hospital in Pennsylvania, he re-enlisted and after serving a year or so at Fort Hamilton, NY and Fort Dix in NJ, he was assigned to duty in Germany at the Rhein Main Air Passenger Center at Rhein Main Airbase, where he became deeply involved in the Hungarian Airlift. He performed so well that he was promoted to Master Sergeant by The Honorable Wilbur M. Brucker, then Secretary of the Army, the only enlisted man in the entire U.S. Army to be promoted to that rank during that period.

Bill retired from the Army in May 1967 with many awards and decorations, including two awards of the Distinguished Unit Citation, which is the equivalent of every man in the unit being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (our nation’s second highest award) twice. Also, two awards of the Korean Distinguished Unit Service award, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the POW Medal, the Army Commendation Medal plus several foreign nations medals including the Norwegian Nobel Committees' Nobel Peace Prize Medal.

After retiring from active duty, and being bored with civilian life, Bill applied for and was accepted into the US Army’s Communications & Electronics Command at Fort Monmouth, NJ, Foreign Military Sales program, as a Senior Logistics Management Specialist. Starting out as an Intern, (GS-3), he rose rapidly to the rank of GS-12 and was assigned to the Middle-East Branch where he was solely responsible for the sale and delivery of Communications & Electronics equipment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel. He was personally responsible for the administration of contracts with these countries valued in the trillions of dollars. Because of his knowledge and sales ability, he was able to keep hundreds or thousands of Americans employed.

He is survived by his beautiful and talented wife France, of fifty-nine years, whom he met and fell in love with while on duty in Bangkok, Thailand with the Joint U.S. Military Assistance, Advisory Group, as the US Army Port Commander, also, his two sons, Bruce of Raleigh, NC and Douglas of Frankfurt, Germany, and his sister, Roberta Taliercio of New Jersey.  

Remembered are two brothers, Daniel and Harold, and four sisters, Frances, Joan, Lorraine and Geraldine, all of who preceded Bill in death.

Viewing will be held at Andrews Mortuary, 17730 US Highway 17 North in Hampstead, NC, on Monday, April 28, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm followed by a Mass at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at All Saints Catholic Church, 18737 Highway 17 South in Hampstead, NC. Per his wishes, on Wednesday, July 30th, 2025, Bill was interred with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC.

In lieu of flowers Bill wishes donations to be sent to The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262, Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678.