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Adapted from "Captain William Charles Bergstedt, United States Navy, Deceased"
[biography, dated 16 June 1966] in Modern Biographical Files collection, Navy Department Library.

Topic
  • Aviation
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials
  • NHHC-Library

William Charles Bergstedt

6 March 1921-16 April 1976


Photo of Captain William C. Bergstedt copied from page 233 of the 1943 edition of the U.S. Naval Academy yearbook 'Lucky Bag'.

PDF Version [590KB]

William Charles Bergstedt was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 6, 1921, son of David H. and Irene Marie (Dreis) Bergstedt. He attended Melvindale (Michigan) High School and Wayne University in Detroit, prior to entering the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on appointment from his native state in 1940. Graduated and commissioned Ensign with the Class of 1944 on June 9, 1943 (course of instruction reduced to three years due to World War II), he subsequently advanced in rank to that of Captain, to date from September 1, 1963.

Following graduation from the Naval Academy in 1943, he had brief duty as a Technical Observer at the Naval Air Training Command, Pensacola, Florida, and in September that year joined USS Alabama. While on board that battleship, he participated in operations in the Gilbert, Marshall, Mariana and Western Caroline Islands area and in the 1944 Asiatic-Pacific raids. Detached from the Alabama in September 1944, he had flight training at the Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa, where he remained until February 1945. He continued training at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas, and on September 1, 1945 was designated Naval Aviator. After additional aviation instruction at the Naval Air Station, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, he reported in January 1947 as Operations Officer of Attack Squadron THIRTY-THREE.

In July 1949 he reported for instruction in aeronautical engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School, Annapolis, Maryland, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in June 1951. He next attended a course in industrial management at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, and from September 1951 to June 1952 was a graduate student at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he received the degree of Master of Science in June 1952. Having been designated Aviation Engineering Duty Officer on April 1, 1952, he was assigned in July that year as Aeronautical Engineering Officer in the Office of the Bureau of Aeronautics Representative, San Diego, California.

He served a Maintenance Officer with All Weather Attack Squadron THIRTY-THREE, during the period July 1955 to June 1957, after which he had duty as Aeronautical Engineering Officer at the Naval Air Station, North Island, San Diego, California. In February 1960 he joined Heavy Attack Wing ONE as Aircraft/Material Officer and in June 1963 reported for brief instruction at the Defense Language Institute. In September that year was assigned to the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Center Unit in the Office of the Commander in Chief, US Naval Forces, Europe Representative, Germany, with headquarters in Frankfurt. He remained there until August 1965, when he became Head of the Military Personnel Division, Bureau of Naval Weapons, Navy Department, Washington, DC. Upon the reorganization of the Navy Department, effective May 1, 1966, he now serves as Director of the Organization and Manpower Management Office, Naval Air Systems Command Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Captain Berdstedt has the American Defense Service Medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with silver star (five operations); World War II Victory Medal; and the National Defense Service Medal.

Captain Bergstedt is a member of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences.

He died April 16, 1976. 

END 

Published: Thu Apr 02 09:34:14 EDT 2020