Fall 2005 - St. Charles Preparatory School

His father says Rob works 12-
hour days most of the time. He’s
on alert two-three shifts, flying
three or four sorties, and works
one or two mission planning
shifts per week. He provides
close air support for coalition
ground troops. “He often will
just fly in the areas where they
are operating — that usually
scares off the insurgents — but
if it doesn’t the A-10’s can hammer
them pretty hard,” Ed said.
The parents e-mail almost every
day and Rob can instant message
a couple of times a week,
thanks to a special Air Force IM
system.
When he returns home, Rob will
have a couple of weeks off and
then will go to Maxwell AFB in
Alabama for three months to attend
Squadron Officers School.
“All junior officers have to take
the SOS course, but most do it
through orrespondence. It is a
privilege to actually go to Maxwell
for it,” Ed said. His family
plans to accompany him there.
After graduating from St.
Charles, Rob attended Bowling
Green State University where he
earned his private pilot’s license
and went through the AFROTC
program. Upon graduation, he
returned to BGSU to work with
the ROTC detachment until his
pilot training slot at Vance AFB
in Enid, Okla., opened up. After
graduating from pilot training, he
stayed for three years at Vance
as a T-37 instructor pilot and in
the last year completed a masters
in aeronautical studies from
Embry Riddle University.
Rob and his wife, Martha, have
two daughters, Abby (4) and
Amelia (2). An avid outdoorsman
who favors hiking, camping, and
Returning veterans hailed
“heroes” at school Mass
At the school Mass for the Feast of All Saints, St.
Charles honored graduates who had returned home
safely from military duty, particularly from Iraq.
There also were prayers for the safety of those still
in harm’s way around the world, and all the blessed
faithful, whatever their rank or status, who have
“gone before us to eternal life.”
In his homily, Msgr. Thomas M. Bennett hailed
the Marines as true “heroes” for doing their duty and
answering their nation’s call. He reminded the
student body assembled that “these men once sat in
the very seats where you are now” and their service
was neither “pleasant or convenient, but they did it
nonetheless.”
On hand were four Marine Corps ‘veterans’ and
their families. Alongside them were family members
representing other alumni who had served in Iraq.
Among those present with family members were
Rian Call ’00 and Patrick Ryan ’02, reserve members
of Lima Company’s 3 rd Battalion, 25 th Marine
Regiment. Also there was Steve Riley ’00 (Marine
Reserves 4 th Comm) and Frank Hartge ’01 (Headquarter
Battalion, Marines 4 th Division).
Family members of veterans not present included
Tom Strausbaugh, father of Chance ’01
(Army101st Airborne Div.); Jack and Margaret
Cahill, parents of John W. “Will” Cahill ’98 (Army
1 st Cavalry Div.); principal Dominic and Kathleen
(nee Cull) Cavello, for nephew Matt Cull ’94
(Marine’s 2 nd Fleet Anti-terrorism Security team);
and St. Charles physics teacher, Dr. Sarah
Vandermeer, mother of Chris Widell ’97 (Army 1 st
Cavalry Div.).
Principal Dominic Cavello, an Army veteran of
Vietnam, told the assembly that at last year’s
Marian Devotion at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto,
“We received word that Lima Company was under
Marines heroes
Frank Hartge ’01, Steve Riley ’00, Rian Call ’00 and Patrick Ryan ’02,
recently returned from duty in Iraq, participated in the all-school
liturgy for the Feast of All Saints on Nov. 1. St. Charles students
and community honored its military alumni and prayed for the
safety of them still in harm’s way around the world.
heavy fire in Iraq. We prayed that day more intensely
than before for the safety of those men and
particularly for our alumni wherever the service of
our nation took them.”
He added: “We can only imagine the experiences
that they have had since leaving St. Charles,
and we are grateful that they and their families are
here to share with us this celebration of All Saints
Day.”
Many other St. Charles alumni have returned
from tours of duty in Iraq. They include: Colin
Cusack’96 (Army 1 st Cavalry Div.); Brian L. Davis
’76 (Marine 1 st Battalion, 25 th Regiment); Gabe
Diana ’94 ( Marines);Kevin Malloy ’97 (Lima
Company 3 rd Battalion, 25 th Marine Regiment); Dr.
Michael A. Oddi ’65 (Army 848 th Forward Surgical
team); and Robert Rodock ’97 (Army military
police).
John Dreska ’98 (Army Quartermaster) is
currently in Iraq, Chance Strausbaugh ’01 is on his
second tour of duty, and Robert Rodock ’97 is to be
deployed there.
Now piloting A-10’s
Lt. Robert J. Chinnock ’95, after
completing pilot training in
2000.
The Distinctive Leader in Catholic Education
Welcome Home!
Frank Hartge ’01 stands outside his family’s Reynoldsburg home
after returning from Iraq with his Cincinnati-based Marine unit.
Logisitc Man
Major John Dreska ’88, seen smiling, prepares to travel to
downtown Kabul from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan with a
convoy of armored Humvees to inspect a new warehouse to food for
all U.S. forces in that country.
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