Bishop Amat Military Memorial
Update September, 2010:
As part of the recognition for the Bishop Amat fallen heroes in military service, for the 2010 football campaign the Bishop Amat Lancer football team will be wearing the insignias of the unit of the military service in which each of the fallen heroes served. During the summer team retreat the biographies and service record of these heroes was shared with the football team. Many of the heroes also played football during their time at Bishop Amat. Well done members of the Lancer 2010 football team.
Dec 2009
The Bishop Amat Military Memorial (BAMM) is an alumni-inspired initiative to involve the entire Amat Family; students, faculty, parents, alumni and BAMM friends to honor those Lancers who lost their lives while on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States. The goal is to offer prayers for and acknowledge the supreme sacrifice of Bishop Amat graduates. We also want to offer prayers for and recognize those members of the Amat Family who presently serve or who served.
The Memorial Project comprises four elements.
The FIRST is to identify all Amat military veterans. We invite a response email from all alumni who served, know of those who served or who are presently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Kevin Rue of the Class of 1971 is collecting the information. You may contact him via e-mail at BAMM71@gmail.com or call him at (703) 325-4631.
The SECOND is spiritual. This includes praying a special rosary novena for those who have died as well as for those serving. Additionally, there is a future plan to include these Lancers in Masses both on campus and in local parishes (see below for more detail).
The THIRD element is scholarship. Depending upon the alumni response, scholarships in the name of the Amat Fallen Heroes will be established to help needy and deserving students with tuition assistance to attend Bishop Amat.
The FOURTH is to follow through to completion the erection of a physical memorial to commemorate those who made the supreme sacrifice. The BAMM (Physical) element is part of the Bishop Amat Memorial Garden (BAMG) presently under construction. The BAMG incorporates the design of the new BAMM (Physical) with the existing Bishop Amat Vietnam Memorial (BAVM). The BAMM (Physical) is a flagpole and base. Around the pentagon-shaped base will be an individual plaque honoring Amat’s Fallen Heroes. As of October, 2009 work on the BAMG is 85% complete.
The Bishop Amat Military Memorial Steering Committee (BAMM Steering Committee or BSC) is active and would appreciate additional support. Kevin Rue, ’71, serves as the volunteer Chairman for the committee. Although Kevin lives in the Washington D.C. area, he travels to Bishop Amat periodically at which time we try to arrange face-to-face meetings. Other BA grads have joined us for planning meetings via teleconference from as far away as France.
In terms of IDENTIFICATION, the BSC is presently aware of eight Lancers who lost their lives while serving on active duty in our nation’s military. These include five alumni who died in Vietnam: Joseph Alfred Albertini, ’65; David Hugh Lalich, ’64; Joel Michael Sabel, ’61; John Roger Thielen, ’65; and Stanley William Tunall, ’63. Another alumnus from the Class of 1964, Lt. Col. Joseph Librado Lujan, perished on July 15, 1987 while serving in El Salvador. One graduate from the Class of 1974, 2nd Lt Terrence Patrick Carrigan, lost his life one month following his graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1978. Most recently, Maj. Douglas Amuel La Bouff, ’87, died in a helicopter crash in Iraq on January 7, 2006.
The SPIRITUAL element of the Memorial began on September 11, 2008 with the initiation of a 54-Day Rosary Novena for Joel Sabel. The details of this unique, 54-day Rosary Novena containing 27 days of Rosary prayers in petition followed by another 27 days of the Rosary in thanksgiving are at this link (how to Pray the Rosary - here).
Currently, we have Bishop Amat students, faculty and alumni praying the rosaries daily for the Fallen Heroes in addition to the families and friends affected by their loss. The Campus Ministry Office at Bishop Amat has a Rosary recitation schedule. We invite alumni, friends and families to join us in this commitment as members of the Amat Family. Please contact Anthony Garcias in Campus Ministry at agarcias@bishopamat.org if you wish to participate.
Rosaries
11 Sep 2008 Begin 1st of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP JM Sabel)
3 Nov 1st, 54-day Rosary for JM Sabel ends
18 Oct Begin 2d of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP SW Tunall)
10 Dec 2008 2d, 54-day Rosary for SW Tunall ends
24 Nov Begin 3d of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP DH Lalich)
16 Jan 2009 3d, 54-day Rosary for DH Lalich ends
7 Apr Begin 4th of 8 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP DA La Bouff)
30 May 4th, 54-day Rosary for DA La Bouff ends
11 Sep Begin 5th of 8 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP JL Lujan)
3 Nov 5th, 54-day Rosary for JL Lujan ends
4 Nov Begin 6th of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP JA Albertini)
27 Dec 6th, 54-day Rosary for JA Albertini ends
28 Dec 2009 Begin 7th of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP JR Thielen)
19 Feb 2010 7th, 54-day Rosary for JR Thielen ends
20 Feb Begin 8th of 8, 54-day Rosary Novenas (RIP TP Carrigan)
14 Apr 2010 8th, 54-day Rosary for TP Carrigan ends
Masses
As part of the overall Spiritual element, the BSC lists as a goal in future years to coordinate for Memorial Masses in the names of our Amat Fallen Heroes. The plan is to arrange for Masses in the local parishes where the young men and their families prayed together.
The SCHOLARSHIP Fund received a $25,000 initial deposit from the school to help “seed” an endowment. Msgr. Carroll, President of Bishop Amat, also indicated the school will match, dollar-for-dollar, the next $25,000 in contributions to the BAMM Scholarship Fund. As of October, 2009 the amount donated to the Fund by alumni and friends totals $6,550. You may make a BAMM Project donation by contacting Mrs. Debra Oswald of the Bishop Amat Development Office. Her e-mail address is doswald@bishopamat.org and the phone number is (626) 962-2495 ext. 1-7456 / 44 / 03.
The PHYSICAL MEMORIAL is under construction. It is part of the Bishop Amat Memorial Garden. The school’s Administration and the BSC expect an Unveiling and Dedication ceremony to coincide with Amat’s Homecoming Weekend in October, 2010. Please plan to join the families of Amat’s Fallen Heroes, the school’s military veterans, other alumni and friends for this ceremony. See below for pictures of the progress on the work of the Bishop Amat Memorial Garden. Return to this webpage for updated information on the BAMM Project.
