This is a cenotaph. He also is memorialized on his family marker John Arthur Boronski.
His remains were recovered and interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
The following information was found at Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 and The Virtual Wall
John Arthur Boronski was a Sergeant First Class (E6) in the US Army, RT Pennsylvania, CCC, SOA (MACV-SOG) 5th Special Forces Group. His MOS (military occupational series) was 12B4S, Combat Engineer. He had been in Vietnam since 25 October 1969. His unit operated forty miles north of Pleiku out of Kontum. It was home base to Forward Observation Base 2, a classified, long-term operations of the Special Operations Group that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. The group staged out of Dak To.
On March 24 1970, helicopters from the 170th Assault Helicopter company were sent to extract a LRRP (Long-range reconnaissance patrol) from fourteen miles inside Ratanokiri Province, Cambodia. The team members were 1st Lt Jerry L Pool, SFC John A Boronski, Sgt Gary A Harned and five Montagnard tribesmen. The team had been in contact with the Vietcong all night and could not continue. No landing zone was nearby; the team could not be extracted until it could move to a more suitable location. After the two "extraction" helicopters returned from refueling, Lt Pool radioed that the team was running out of time. Capt. Michael O'Donnell was the commander of one of the two "cover" aircraft. His crew members were WO John C Hoskins, pilot, SP4 Rudy M Beccera, crew chief, and SP4 Berman Ganoe, gunner. He decided to try and pick the team up. The helicopter was on the ground for 4 minutes, and then transmitted that the entire eight member team was onboard. As it was ascending, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire. An explosion was witnessed. It continued flying for approximately 300 meters before another explosion was witnessed and it crashed into the jungle.
Aerial search and rescue operations began immediately. Although no signs of life were detected, search teams could not land due to enemy activity. Their efforts were discontinued on 18 April 1970.
In 1994, a joint search team interviewed a Kontum resident, who reported finding a crash site in Cambodia. A 1995 search was unsuccessful. In January 1998, another search team located the aircraft and the remains with dog tags and personal effects. In April 1998 the remains were returned to the United States, but positive identification took until June 2001. Three sets of remains could not be positively identified by name – Lt Pool, SFC Boronski and Sgt. Harned.
At 1:00 p.m. on 13 August 2001, a funeral service was held at the Fort Myers Chapel. They were buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
John Boronski is located on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 12 W, Line 37
"If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind" Capt. Michael Davis O'Donnell, Dak To, Vietnam, 1 January 1970 (KIA 24 March 1970)
Thank you Sharon Rogers O'Neill!
His remains were recovered and interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
The following information was found at Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 and The Virtual Wall
John Arthur Boronski was a Sergeant First Class (E6) in the US Army, RT Pennsylvania, CCC, SOA (MACV-SOG) 5th Special Forces Group. His MOS (military occupational series) was 12B4S, Combat Engineer. He had been in Vietnam since 25 October 1969. His unit operated forty miles north of Pleiku out of Kontum. It was home base to Forward Observation Base 2, a classified, long-term operations of the Special Operations Group that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. The group staged out of Dak To.
On March 24 1970, helicopters from the 170th Assault Helicopter company were sent to extract a LRRP (Long-range reconnaissance patrol) from fourteen miles inside Ratanokiri Province, Cambodia. The team members were 1st Lt Jerry L Pool, SFC John A Boronski, Sgt Gary A Harned and five Montagnard tribesmen. The team had been in contact with the Vietcong all night and could not continue. No landing zone was nearby; the team could not be extracted until it could move to a more suitable location. After the two "extraction" helicopters returned from refueling, Lt Pool radioed that the team was running out of time. Capt. Michael O'Donnell was the commander of one of the two "cover" aircraft. His crew members were WO John C Hoskins, pilot, SP4 Rudy M Beccera, crew chief, and SP4 Berman Ganoe, gunner. He decided to try and pick the team up. The helicopter was on the ground for 4 minutes, and then transmitted that the entire eight member team was onboard. As it was ascending, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire. An explosion was witnessed. It continued flying for approximately 300 meters before another explosion was witnessed and it crashed into the jungle.
Aerial search and rescue operations began immediately. Although no signs of life were detected, search teams could not land due to enemy activity. Their efforts were discontinued on 18 April 1970.
In 1994, a joint search team interviewed a Kontum resident, who reported finding a crash site in Cambodia. A 1995 search was unsuccessful. In January 1998, another search team located the aircraft and the remains with dog tags and personal effects. In April 1998 the remains were returned to the United States, but positive identification took until June 2001. Three sets of remains could not be positively identified by name – Lt Pool, SFC Boronski and Sgt. Harned.
At 1:00 p.m. on 13 August 2001, a funeral service was held at the Fort Myers Chapel. They were buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
John Boronski is located on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 12 W, Line 37
"If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind" Capt. Michael Davis O'Donnell, Dak To, Vietnam, 1 January 1970 (KIA 24 March 1970)
Thank you Sharon Rogers O'Neill!
This is a cenotaph. He also is memorialized on his family marker John Arthur Boronski.
His remains were recovered and interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
The following information was found at Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 and The Virtual Wall
John Arthur Boronski was a Sergeant First Class (E6) in the US Army, RT Pennsylvania, CCC, SOA (MACV-SOG) 5th Special Forces Group. His MOS (military occupational series) was 12B4S, Combat Engineer. He had been in Vietnam since 25 October 1969. His unit operated forty miles north of Pleiku out of Kontum. It was home base to Forward Observation Base 2, a classified, long-term operations of the Special Operations Group that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. The group staged out of Dak To.
On March 24 1970, helicopters from the 170th Assault Helicopter company were sent to extract a LRRP (Long-range reconnaissance patrol) from fourteen miles inside Ratanokiri Province, Cambodia. The team members were 1st Lt Jerry L Pool, SFC John A Boronski, Sgt Gary A Harned and five Montagnard tribesmen. The team had been in contact with the Vietcong all night and could not continue. No landing zone was nearby; the team could not be extracted until it could move to a more suitable location. After the two "extraction" helicopters returned from refueling, Lt Pool radioed that the team was running out of time. Capt. Michael O'Donnell was the commander of one of the two "cover" aircraft. His crew members were WO John C Hoskins, pilot, SP4 Rudy M Beccera, crew chief, and SP4 Berman Ganoe, gunner. He decided to try and pick the team up. The helicopter was on the ground for 4 minutes, and then transmitted that the entire eight member team was onboard. As it was ascending, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire. An explosion was witnessed. It continued flying for approximately 300 meters before another explosion was witnessed and it crashed into the jungle.
Aerial search and rescue operations began immediately. Although no signs of life were detected, search teams could not land due to enemy activity. Their efforts were discontinued on 18 April 1970.
In 1994, a joint search team interviewed a Kontum resident, who reported finding a crash site in Cambodia. A 1995 search was unsuccessful. In January 1998, another search team located the aircraft and the remains with dog tags and personal effects. In April 1998 the remains were returned to the United States, but positive identification took until June 2001. Three sets of remains could not be positively identified by name – Lt Pool, SFC Boronski and Sgt. Harned.
At 1:00 p.m. on 13 August 2001, a funeral service was held at the Fort Myers Chapel. They were buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
John Boronski is located on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 12 W, Line 37
"If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind" Capt. Michael Davis O'Donnell, Dak To, Vietnam, 1 January 1970 (KIA 24 March 1970)
Thank you Sharon Rogers O'Neill!
His remains were recovered and interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
The following information was found at Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 and The Virtual Wall
John Arthur Boronski was a Sergeant First Class (E6) in the US Army, RT Pennsylvania, CCC, SOA (MACV-SOG) 5th Special Forces Group. His MOS (military occupational series) was 12B4S, Combat Engineer. He had been in Vietnam since 25 October 1969. His unit operated forty miles north of Pleiku out of Kontum. It was home base to Forward Observation Base 2, a classified, long-term operations of the Special Operations Group that involved daily operations into Laos and Cambodia. The group staged out of Dak To.
On March 24 1970, helicopters from the 170th Assault Helicopter company were sent to extract a LRRP (Long-range reconnaissance patrol) from fourteen miles inside Ratanokiri Province, Cambodia. The team members were 1st Lt Jerry L Pool, SFC John A Boronski, Sgt Gary A Harned and five Montagnard tribesmen. The team had been in contact with the Vietcong all night and could not continue. No landing zone was nearby; the team could not be extracted until it could move to a more suitable location. After the two "extraction" helicopters returned from refueling, Lt Pool radioed that the team was running out of time. Capt. Michael O'Donnell was the commander of one of the two "cover" aircraft. His crew members were WO John C Hoskins, pilot, SP4 Rudy M Beccera, crew chief, and SP4 Berman Ganoe, gunner. He decided to try and pick the team up. The helicopter was on the ground for 4 minutes, and then transmitted that the entire eight member team was onboard. As it was ascending, the helicopter was hit by enemy fire. An explosion was witnessed. It continued flying for approximately 300 meters before another explosion was witnessed and it crashed into the jungle.
Aerial search and rescue operations began immediately. Although no signs of life were detected, search teams could not land due to enemy activity. Their efforts were discontinued on 18 April 1970.
In 1994, a joint search team interviewed a Kontum resident, who reported finding a crash site in Cambodia. A 1995 search was unsuccessful. In January 1998, another search team located the aircraft and the remains with dog tags and personal effects. In April 1998 the remains were returned to the United States, but positive identification took until June 2001. Three sets of remains could not be positively identified by name – Lt Pool, SFC Boronski and Sgt. Harned.
At 1:00 p.m. on 13 August 2001, a funeral service was held at the Fort Myers Chapel. They were buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
John Boronski is located on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 12 W, Line 37
"If you are able, save them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may or may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind" Capt. Michael Davis O'Donnell, Dak To, Vietnam, 1 January 1970 (KIA 24 March 1970)
Thank you Sharon Rogers O'Neill!
Inscription
In Memory of/John A Boronski/SFC US Army/Vietnam/1944-1978
Missing in Action Mar 24 1970/Presumptive Findings of Death Nov 27 1978
Gravesite Details
Cenotaph
