A visit to a Salesianum Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2018 spurred Jim Burke into action.
Burke, a 1964 graduate of the Wilmington school, was in tears as he listened to the story of fellow alumnus James J. Connell, one of the inductees. Connell, who graduated in 1957, had attended the U.S. Naval Academy and was a lieutenant commander in the flight training program.
In 1966, Connell was flying one of four aircraft in a mission south of Hanoi when his plane was shot down. He had suffered only minor injuries, but he was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese military. He reportedly died in captivity in 1971, and his remains were not repatriated until March 1974.
Burke, who served in and near the Demilitarized Zone in the late 1960s and early 1970s, realized that Salesianum had many alums who had served in the armed forces who deserved recognition.
“Think of all the alumni,” he recalled recently. “Why don’t we start some sort of organization to honor the alumni vets?”
With the blessing of the school, the Salesianum Alumni Veterans was born. It currently has 281 registered members, a number that grows periodically. Two years ago, the organization created a veterans scholarship fund, and earlier this year, the first grant was awarded to freshman Carter Olds, the son of two Air Force veterans. The group hopes to support two students next year, according to their website.
To raise funds, Salesianum Alumni Veterans holds two public events each year, plus a private function. The public events are a Mass and reception at Salesianum, and another fundraiser on Flag Day in June. The private event is in November, and the organization hopes to raise $30-40,000. Burke said it is not a Salesianum-exclusive affair. A public breakfast will be held on Nov. 7. (See details below.)
“Most of the donors have nothing to do with Sallies, but they have a love of veterans. The scholarship idea really appeals to them,” he said.
Burke said military service and Salesianum have been connected since the earliest days of the school. Many of the first graduates served in World War I, and it has continued into the 21st century.
“It’s gone way beyond what I thought when I first thought of it. We didn’t realize how many Oblates were involved. We didn’t know how many fought in World War I,” he said.
A lot of the credit for getting the scholarship fund turbocharged belongs to committee member John Riley, Burke said. Riley, Class of 1964 and an Army veteran, spearheaded an event featuring retired Vice Admiral Tim Szymanski, whose last post was deputy commander of United States Special Operations Command. Szymanski, a 1980 alumnus, also ran the Navy Seals.
Szymanski couldn’t discuss much about what he did, Burke recalled, but he helped them raise $100,000.
Salesianum Alumni Veterans does more than raise money for a scholarship. Burke said any time an alumni veteran dies, a card is sent to the family. Inside the school, there is a trophy case that is filled with memorabilia. He said he doesn’t know of any other high school that has this kind of group.
“This is unusual,” he said.
One graduate, Bill Knightly (Class of 1968), has created a PowerPoint video honoring many of the men who have served in the military after graduating. He updates it as he receives more information. It is available on their website, salesianumveterans.org.
“It just moves me every time I look at it,” Burke said.
The organization believes there are about 500 living veteran alumni, Burke said. Those who are not registered are encouraged to do so at the website. Anyone who wants more information can contact Burke at jburke1946@aol.com.
Public breakfast details
The Salesianum Alumni Veterans will hold their fundraising public breakfast on Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m. in Centenary Hall at Salesianum School, 1801 N. Broom St., Wilmington. Retired Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap, a member of Salesianum’s Class of 1968 and the former deputy judge advocate general at the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C., will be the keynote speaker.
Dunlap will address “The New Battlefields: Ethics, Law and Leadership in an Age of Uncertainty.” He is currently a professor at the Duke University Law School and the executive director of the Center on Law, Ethics and National Security.
The breakfast also will feature a panel discussion with three retired military personnel: Navy Capt. Bob Clark and Marine Corps Lt. Col. Ted Handler and Maj. Bobby DeWees.
Tickets to the breakfast are $50 and available at www.sals1903.org/dunlap. The registration deadline is Nov. 5. For more information, contact advancement@salesianum.org.
