DERRY — His clear blue eyes have seen a lot since that day on a far-off French beach.
On a murky June morning in 1944, Walter Borowksi and the men of Fox Company, 2nd Army Rangers, put their tough training into action, scooted out of their landing craft, and splashed toward the shoreline and the Normandy cliffs at Point Du Hoc.
D-Day had begun and it would lead the young soldiers to the tall, stony cliffs and toward a turning point in World War II.
The 90-year-old Borowski is possibly the sole survivor of the famed Rangers, the first to hit the French beach that day, taking heroic measures to scale the cliffs, and "kill or be killed," as the aging man recalled. With 225 Rangers climbing the 100-foot cliffs, only 90 Rangers were still standing at battle's end.
For his bravery and his service helping the French people, the Derry veteran will receive France's highest military award, the Legion of Honor, at a ceremony Feb. 4 at the Derry Municipal Center.
The Council-General of France will present the award to Borowski with Gov. John Lynch, state and local dignitaries in attendance.
Derry town historian Richard Holmes said the award has been years in the making, an honor he said is well deserved by this ordinary man who has seen extraordinary things.
"This is the highest (award) you can get," Holmes said. "It's finally happening."
Walter Borowski was born the son of Polish immigrants in 1920 in Derry, one of 10 children living in a small, white house on High Street. He attended local schools, including the Oak Street School and Pinkerton Academy. He was the first in his family to go to high school.
In the fall of 1941, at the age of 21, Borowski was drafted into the U.S. Army. After attending boot camp, the Derry soldier headed to Europe. He went on to make his mark in some of World War II's most significant moments, including D-Day.
Borowski once described the charge at Normandy's beaches as chaotic and terrifying, losing about seven of every 10 men he knew that day.
Even more personally tragic was the loss of his brother. Eugene "Jerry" Borowski, one of the first men to enlist in the Army from Derry. He was a member of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and died on June 7, 1944, just one mile from where his brother was fighting.
For his heroism, Borowski received two Purple Hearts, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and a Presidential Citation.
Following the war, Borowski returned to Derry, built a house across the street from where he grew up, married and started a family. He was active in the community and said he never wanted to live anywhere else.
"Derry was my hometown," Borowski said in an earlier interview. "All I wanted was a little place, to find a little piece of property, and build a fence and do my own thing."
Holmes devoted an entire chapter to Borowski in his Derry history book, "Nutfield Rambles." He also nominated him to be part of the Pinkerton Academy Hall of Fame in 2007. The Derry historian calls Borowski a role model, a hero and, mostly, a Ranger.
"He's happy," Holmes said of Borowski. "He realizes at 90, this is (probably) the last go-around."
Lynch will proclaim Feb. 4 Walter Borowski Day in New Hampshire. To learn more about the ceremony for Borowski, contact Holmes at 434-6042.
