Purple Heart Recipient, World War II Veteran Receives Healthcare at VA Loma Linda
William Ahlborn was living on his parents’ farm near Riverside, California when he was drafted into the Army in 1943. He was only 18 years old.
When reflecting on how he felt about being drafted at the time, Mr. Ahlborn describes the whole process as being a bit surreal.
“I was sworn into service on the steps of the Riverside County courthouse. From there I was taken to an induction center where I was able to see my ranch about three miles up the highway. I spent quite a bit of time looking at my home through the fence. It was a strange feeling.”
From there, he went to anti-aircraft combat training at Camp Haan and Fort Irwin. Much of his training consisted of shooting .50 caliber and 40mm tracer rounds at airborne targets hooked up to the tails of planes piloted by women.
“In my mind they were the bravest women on the earth,” Ahlborn said. “Many of our guys had never even seen a gun before. And here were these pilots whose job it was to fly these targets around in front of us. The air was filled with flying lead explosions from machine gun and cannon fire. I’m sure they might’ve been scared to death to do it. But they got out there and did it every day.”
He would then go on to Europe to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, a historical event that Winston Churchill called, “undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war…an ever-famous American victory.”
“Nobody informed me of how important it was,” Ahlborn said with a smile. “We didn’t know if it was a minor skirmish or a major battle. I remember they were lobbing artillery fire into the trees overtop of us. We were all just trying to stay alive. And if you saw an enemy’s head you did your best to either make them duck or take them down.”
After taking shrapnel in battle, the journey back stateside was a long one.
“I was taken to a field hospital where I was operated on by a man named Dr. Brain, believe it or not,” Ahlborn chuckled. “They thought they would eventually send me back to the battlefield, but infection set in. They had to put me back under and find the infection to save me. From there I was put on a boat at the French coast.”
From there, Ahlborn docked in South Hampton, England and traveled through the country by train to Scotland, where he boarded a hospital ship.
“I remember they turned the lights on so the Germans could see the red cross against the white paint on the side and know not to shoot,” recalled Ahlborn.
The hospital ship arrived at Virginia, and he traveled by train to Denver, Colorado where he finished the bulk of his recovery at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center.
Ahlborn received the Purple Heart for his sacrifice and service. Though the Purple Heart is arguably one of the most distinguished honors that can be bestowed on a Soldier, Ahlborn admits he never gave it much thought. “There was never a thought in my head about deserving an award. I just wanted to restart my life.”
Ahlborn went on to serve his nation in the states and abroad in a host of other roles including journalist, Air Force civilian and even college professor. In September of 1998, he married his wife, Paula Ahlborn in Redlands, California. In 2020, Ahlborn was named Crafton Hills College’s Outstanding Alumnus. After retiring as an Air Force civilian, he went on to conduct lectures on cruise ships for 10 years. He’s traveled to all 50 states, 150 countries and all seven continents. His love of geography and travel is something he admits he may have picked up during his time traveling Europe during World War II.
His whole life, Mr. Ahlborn has worked in service of our nation, and the VA Loma Linda nursing staff is happy to return the favor.
Mr. Ahlborn, age 99, currently resides in the Community Living Center at Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans' Hospital, where he receives around-the-clock Palliative Care focused on comfort and quality-of-life services. He was admitted to the hospital in late March, and since then, Mr. Ahlborn says he’s received excellent care in VA Loma Linda’s Palliative Care Unit.
“I’ve been receiving outstanding treatment since I’ve arrived here,” said Ahlborn. “I’ve never felt like a member of the staff has given me any less than their very best.”
Likewise, the nursing staff had nothing but praise for Mr. Ahlborn with some even finding inspiration from his incredible life story.
“Mr. Ahlborn is very delightful, soft spoken and well-mannered,” said Marie Sidabutar, a registered nurse at VA Loma Linda. “He has a lot of travelling stories and it’s amazing to listen to him along with the pictures and albums that go with it.”
“I was surprised to learn that he visited so many countries and even obtained his master’s degree and became a professor in his 80’s,” said Raquel Martin, a licensed vocational nurse at VA Loma Linda. “I learned from him that it’s never too late to go back to school or start a new profession. He has a passion for traveling and exploring new countries which also gave me inspiration to hopefully travel the world as he has.”
On April 19, members of VA Loma Linda’s Executive Leadership Team, including then Acting Medical Center Director Dr. V. Franklin Sechriest and Associate Director for Patient Care Services Jane McCarthy, met with Mr. Ahlborn to present him with a Challenge Coin and thank him for his service. When asked by Ms. McCarthy if there was anything that could be done to improve the quality of his service, Ahlborn said, “I can’t answer that question. How can you think of something more when the staff and everybody else is just helping so much?”
The healthcare teams at VA Loma Linda are honored to serve Mr. Ahlborn and his fellow Veterans by providing accessible, exceptional, and personalized care.
“Mr. Ahlborn is a great man with an incredible legacy and we’re happy to have him in our care,” said Dr. Sechriest. “Providing him with top notch healthcare is our way of honoring that legacy and thanking him for his service. That’s what it’s all about: serving those who have served us.”
Veterans and service members can learn how to apply for VA healthcare benefits at https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/.
VA Loma Linda Healthcare System offers Veterans a wide range of health services at 10 locations serving San Bernardino and Riverside counties. To learn more and get connected with care, visit https://www.va.gov/loma-linda-health-care/health-services/.