Wesley C. Borgeson was born Oct. 5, 1925 in Park River. He graduated from high school in Park River and was drafted into the US Army Air Corps in 1943.

He was trained as a B17 tail gunner and sent to the 8th Air Force in England. In December 1944 his plane was shot down over Leipzig, Germany. Wes was captured and sent to Stalag Luft IV. In February 1945 the prisoners were taken on a 650 mile forced march toward the American lines, finally being liberated in April 1945.

Following his discharge, Wes studied engineering at the U of Minnesota. He married Patricia Larson on Sept. 10, 1949 and graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 1950.

Wes was active in the City of Richfield Planning Committee, Richfield United Methodist Church as well as veterans and engineering organizations. He retired from the Department of Navy in 1987. After Pat passed away in May of 2011, Wes lived at home in Richfield and then at Prelude Care in Woodbury.