The Philip B. Petersen Collection Broadcast October 18, 1989

     Danny Borcher lived in the town of Ocean near Asbury Park, New Jersey.  Danny was born with a very severe physical handicap.  He had very little use of his arms and legs and was not able to take part in any form of physical activity that all other children can do.  He was a very small boy and his parents did everything they could for Danny.  It was necessary that he be given all of the love, attention and help that they could so that Danny could provide for himself someday.  He was physically weak and his parents carried him from place to place.
     His father, a machinist technician, designed a special four wheel electrically operated "go cart" type device to help Danny move about their home and immediate neighborhood.  His mother took him to school but it was difficult for Danny to move about there.  Unable to pursue the normal physical activities that most of us take for granted, Danny became very shy and withdrawn.
     Radio amateur Arnold Halpern, W2GDS, of Long Branch, New Jersey, a friend of the Borchers, knew Danny since he was two years old.  Arnold felt confident that if Danny would become a radio amateur, it would greatly help Danny and indirectly the family too.  Arnold said he would help Danny, asked him a number of times but Danny always refused.  Arnold didn't give up and finally, when Danny was 15 years old, he surprised Arnold and said he would like to get his amateur license.  Danny was a good student and Arnold worked with him several hours each day.  Danny learned the technical portions of the FCC license requirement quickly, but had difficulty writing down the Morse code because of his handicap.  However, after several more weeks, he passed the FCC amateur radio license examination and received his station license call letters, WB2CTQ.
     Little Danny became very interested in the world of amateur radio and made sure that he got on the air to talk with Arnold's station (W2GDS) first.  Arnold and others saw an immediate change in Danny.  He would often get on the air and invite other radio amateurs to come over and see his station.  Danny soon made plans for his future.  He said that he wanted to become an electrical engineer.  He started in a local college first, but he had physical difficulty moving about the campus.  His mother took him to the University of Arizona because they were better equipped to have handicapped students.  In a few years, he obtained his electrical engineering degree.  After that, he obtained a degree in Business Administration.  Danny wanted to provide for himself someday.  He was offered a position by a large, prestigious electronics company as a patent lawyer, which required that he get a law degree as well.  Danny completed his study of law.  He came back to New Jersey with his mother and talked to Arnold, W2GDS, about his plans for the future.  A few days later, Danny's mother called Arnold to say that Danny had suddenly passed away.
     We cannot understand why this happens, but all those who knew Danny Borcher, WB2CTQ, know that his life became much fuller and richer after becoming a radio amateur.

October 18, 1989

** Broadcasts recordings preserved and presented here by Mr. Robert Buss and Mr. Bernie Ricciardi, Phil's friends and fellow Marconi Chapter 138 QCWA members **

Page updated January 12, 2004  page created June 11, 2001