Anthony J Borrego

The database page for Anthony J Borrego

24 Mar 1999 Lieutenant Anthony Joseph Borrego was my cousin. He died 1967 in Vietnam fighting for this country. I was 12 years old then, but the pain has never left me. The loss changed our entire family irrevocably. I love him with all my heart and need to honor his short life. ( From cousin Aprile Penhall ) My cousin, Anthony, was a very loving and good natured person. We miss him very much. ( From Nancy Fierro Melnas ) aprile@penhall.org

05 Sep 2006 I went to high school with Tony Borrego. We were basses in choir together. Tony read music very well and I didn't read at all so I would just listen to Tony and I'd sing the notes he sang. He and I sang and played guitars together. I would take the bus to his house on occasion and he would give me guitar lessons and let me play his beautiful Gibson electric. I remember us doing "Bye Bye Love" for some show at a hospital. He was an excellent guitarist, and a fine pianist who played for the choir when we did Handel. He also played the accordion quite well. At Passaic Valley High Tony was one of the few people whom everybody loved. He had a happy disposition and you could tell that he was very sincere. He made terrible puns ... I remember him singing his own version of "Kiss of Fire": "I kiss your lips and all at once your teeth go flying". I make my living now as a musician and songwriter, and I often perform a song I wrote for Tony called "Paterson Summer". The lyric in part reads: White heat on the rooftop melting the tar    Out on the fire escape I hear a Mediterranean guitar      Must be my friend Tony        He's gonna be a star I feel privileged to have known him and to have been his friend, and I know many who would say the same thing. From a friend, Michael Smith PVHS '59 1347 West Early Avenue, Chicago Il 60660 E-Mail will be forwarded by the Webmaster@VirtualWall.org

A Note from The Virtual Wall Anthony J. Borrego was born on March 25, 1942 in West Paterson, NJ. He graduated from the U. S. Military Academy at West Point in 1965 and was trained as an infantry officer, completing both airborne and Ranger courses. He was a member of MACV Advisory Team 23 and was attached to the 2nd Bn, 42nd ARVN Regiment. On 28 June 1967, while his unit was working with elements of the 1st Cavalry Divison and 173rd Airborne Brigade in Operation GREELEY, it was ambushed on Highway 14 south of Dak To, Kontum Province. The ambush cost the lives of nine American soldiers: Adv Team 23, HQ, MACV Advisors 1LT Anthony J. Borrego, West Paterson, NJ SFC William D. Sizemore, Augusta, GA A Co, 2nd Bn, 12th Cavalry CPT Graham N. Lowdon, Wilmington, DE, Company Commander 1LT Geoffrey L. Ham, Ivyland, PA SP4 Rodger T. Gross, Godfrey, IL PFC Roger L. Blake, Baltimore, MD PFC Thomas E. Broome, Sun Prairie, WI PFC Walter N. Locher, Lame Deer, MT PFC Kenneth M. Wright, Alton, IL Although SFC Sizemore was killed in the ambush, 1LT Anthony J. Borrego was not. Very seriously wounded, Borrego survived the ambush itself but died of his injuries a week afterwards, on 05 July 1967.

The point-of-contact for this memorial is his cousin, Aprile Penhall aprile@penhall.org

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 24 Mar 1999
Last updated 09/26/2006