Chapter 2: Family, Courtship and Commitment
- Anthony Carbone
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 6
BELIEVE NOTHING YOU HEAR, AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE — A Memoir of Service, Shame, and the Search for Truth
My Young Father Sent to Bordentown Military Institute
My father was the youngest of four children. His three sisters — Lucille, Theresa, and Rosemarie — absolutely adored their little brother throughout their lives. He was a typical roughhousing boy who loved sports and was constantly in trouble. As a result, my grandparents sent him away to military boarding school — Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey. Bordentown turned out to be the magic solution, helping straighten out my father into an ideal soldier. It marked the beginning of an honorable 50-year military career.
My Father as a Cadet at Bordentown Military Institute
Carbone Family Moves to Stoneham, Massachusetts
By that time, the Carbone family had moved to Stoneham, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, where my grandfather worked in the garment district. One day, while my father was on leave from Bordentown, he attended a high school party in Medford, Massachusetts, where my mother lived. That’s where they met — and from that night forward, my father was in love for the rest of his life. They corresponded while apart. My mother was slower to fall for him, but eventually, he won her heart.
Father Enters Norwich University
After graduating from Bordentown, my father attended Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont, as an Army cadet. My mother was working as a secretary at Hood Milk in Boston.
My Parents Marriage
On November 25, 1955, my father convinced my mother to elope. The elopement caused an uproar. His parents insisted they actively married in a church before living together, which they did on December 22, 1955. My parents always celebrated both anniversaries.
Parents Get Settled at Norwich
Norwich University wasn’t happy about the marriage either — cadets were forbidden to wed — so my father was busted in rank. His father cut him off financially, forcing him to work up to three jobs at once to finish school and ROTC training. They were assigned to the “pre-fab” apartments where married cadets lived.
Birth of My Sister, Lynne
My oldest sister, Lynne, was born in 1957, and my father graduated from Norwich University on December 18, 1958 — the same day my second sister, Diana, was born.
It wasn’t until after the wedding, when both families finally met, that an incredible coincidence emerged: my maternal grandfather had been working in a factory owned by my paternal grandfather for years — without either of them realizing their future connection. The discovery delighted both families, and the two grandfathers became great friends.
Death of my Father’s Sister Lucille and Brother-in-Law Patrick
Tragedy would strike the Carbone family once again. My father’s eldest sister, Lucille, and her husband, Patrick Bonesera of Medford, Massachusetts, were killed by a drunk driver near their home in Lawrence Estates on Valentine’s Day. They left behind two young children, my cousins Margie and Ricky, who were raised by my Uncle John and Auntie Rosemarie Antonelli. The loss was devastating and left a permanent mark on the family’s story. My father kept a news clip with the drunk driver’s name in his wallet for many years to come.
My Father’s Sister Theresa Marries Uncle Arthur McDonald
My father’s second sister was Theresa B. Carbone, was born on July 4, 1926. She married an Irish-American, Arthur F. McDonald, and the two of them had seven children: Dennis, Thomas, Michael, James, Arthur, Jeffrey, and Susan.
Uncle Arthur at Kennedy Space Center
My Uncle Arthur worked for Grumman Aerospace at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for 30 years in the Apollo Program, focusing on the Grumman Lunar Module. I remember during the exciting early years of the American space program, Uncle Arthur would send me astronaut patches, photographs, and models of each of the space ships.
My Father’s Sister Rosemarie Marries Johnny Antonelli
My father’s youngest sister, Rosemarie, married Johnny Antonelli, a celebrated American professional baseball player. Together, they had four children, Lisa, Donna, John Jr, and Regina, and were raised in Rochester, New York.
Uncle Johnny Antonelli, the Professional Baseball Pitcher
My uncle was a left-handed starting pitcher; he played for the Boston / Milwaukee Braves, New York / San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians between 1948 and 1961. Noted at the outset of his career as the recipient of the biggest bonus in baseball history when he signed with the Braves for $52,000 in 1948, Antonelli became a six-time National League All-Star, a two-time 20-game winner, and an essential part of the 1954 World Series champion Giants’ pitching staff. His success brought a sense of pride and celebrity into the family at a time when hope was deeply needed.
My Parents met and Fell in Love for Life
My parents met during their high school years and quickly fell in love — a love that would last for more than fifty years of marriage. Their bond was something rare and beautiful, marked by a constant affection that made them seem more like sweethearts than a long-married couple. My father often called my mother “Ellie Mae” and proudly referred to her as his girlfriend. Even after decades together, whenever they were in the same room, you could still see the spark between them. Their love never faded — it only deepened with time.
