Derry's Son - American Hero - Ami De La France (Friend of France)

Presentation of La Légion d’honneur to Walter Borowski By the Republic of France
February 4, 2010, at Derry, NH

Walter Borowski was born on January 5, 1920, the son of Alexander and Amelia Borowski, who had emigrated from Russia’s Polish Province in 1907. He attended the local Derry Schools and graduated from Pinkerton Academy in 1937. On February 18. 1942, Walter enlisted in the Army, hoping to follow his brother Jerry and become a paratrooper. Soon Walter heard about a new Army outfit being formed – the Rangers. They were to be modeled on the British Commandos and were to become one of America’s toughest and most elite fighting forces. Of the thousands who applied, Walter was one of the few who were found sufficiently fit – both physically and mentally – to be a Ranger.

Walter received advanced infantry training in Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, and Florida, under Major James Rudder’s command. In November of 1943, the Rangers sailed to England for further training on the Isle of Wight. Unbeknownst to the men, their new unit had been created by Generals Eisenhower and Marshall for the express purpose of capturing the fortifications at Pointe du Hoc on Normandy’s coast. The German 155 mm howitzers there had a range of fourteen miles, capable of decimating the invading American soldiers at Utah and Omaha Beaches. The success of the D-Day invasion was thought to depend upon the success of Rudder’s Rangers scaling the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc.

Early in the morning of June 6, 1944, Walter Borowski and the rest of the Rangers splashed ashore at the base of the cliffs at Point du Hoc. The plan was to have rockets fire grappling hooks and ropes up to the top. The Rangers would then climb like monkeys up the sheer face of the 100 foot cliffs, while enemy soldiers fired on them from above. The first rockets for Walter’s team misfired. John Cripps and Walter volunteered to go back to their landing craft to get new rockets. This required the men to wade through waist high water, under withering German machine gun fire. The new rockets were quickly procured: the climb up the cliffs could begin. Fro this action, Walter was awarded the Sliver Star. Within one half hour , the climb to the top of the cliffs was complete. Soon the German guns were destroyed. Thus began Walter’s “Longest Day.” For 48 hours the Rangers held off wave after wave of enemy counter-attacks, until finally, reinforcements arrived. At battle’s end, only 90 of the original 225 Rangers were left standing.

For the rest of the war, Walter took part in many battles and campaigns. Among the notable engagements in which he fought were the liberation of the French city of Brest, Castle Hill, and the Battle of the Bulge. By war’s end Walter had been awarded two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Start, and the Silver Star. His brother Jerry served with the 507th parachute Infantry Regiment, which also took part in the D-Day invasion. Sadly, Jerry was killed in combat on June 7th. He is buried at Colleville-sur-Mer, France.

After the war, Walter returned home to Derry. Here he married Helen Glod (1918-1988) Together they raised two sons and two daughters. Walter retired from Western Electric in 1985. He is now 90 years old and still lives in the house he and Helen built on Madden Road, surrounded by some of the best and most extensive flower and vegetable gardens in Derry.

About La Légion d’honneur (French Legion of Honor)
La Légion d’honneur (Legion of Honor) is the highest decoration which can be awarded by the Republic of France. La Ordre National Legion d-honneur was established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. Its motto is Honneur et Patrie (Honor and Fatherland), and it is headquartered at the Palais de la Légion d-honneur in Paris. The president of the Republic of France (currently President Nicolas Sarkozy) serves as the Grand Master of the Order and officially appoints all new members of the Order.

The Legion of Honor is bestowed only for outstanding service, through great merit or bravery on the part of the recipient. Among the Americans who have received the medal have been Generals of the Army Dwight David Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, and legendary World War II soldier, Audie Murphy.