Saint Thomas Academy Veterans Day Assembly to Highlight WWII and Honor Those Who Served Four-star general/former commander of U.S. Central Command to share insights on leadership and service
DETAILS: Minnesota’s only all-male, military leadership school, Saint Thomas Academy, welcomes the public to its special Veterans Day assembly highlighting World War II and honoring two Academy alumni who served in WWII with the Fleming Alumni Veterans Award. Keynote speaker Gen. Joseph Votel, U.S. Army (ret.), a four-star general who most recently served as commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), will share an inspirational message for Academy cadets and honored guests.
The Fleming Medal recipients to be honored are:
- Gen. Alfred Maximilian (Max) Gruenther, ST(M)A Class of 1916. At age 53, Gruenther became the youngest four-star general in this history of the U.S. Army. He was a close colleague to Dwight D. Eisenhower and served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 1953 to 1956.
- Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryan, ST(M)A Class of 1919. Ryan was ordained a priest in 1927 and joined the U.S. Army in 1928. He rose through the ranks to become the 9th chief of U.S. Army chaplains until his retirement in 1958.
The public is invited to attend this free event.
Monday, Nov. 11, 9-10:30 a.m.
Saint Thomas Academy Flynn Hall
949 Mendota Heights Road
Mendota Heights, Minn. 55120
651-454-4570
BIOGRAPHIES:
Keynote speaker: Gen. Joseph Votel, U.S. Army (ret.) Prior to retiring from the U.S. Army in 2018, Gen. Votel served as the 13th Commander of U.S. Central Command. Before assuming command of CENTCOM in March of 2016, he served as the Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command.
His previous assignments include Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy Commanding General, 82nd Airborne Division and CJTF-82 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan; Director of the Army and Joint Defeat Task Force and subsequently Deputy Director of the Joint IED Defeat Organization; and Commander of 75th Ranger Regiment. Gen. Votel is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College.
Fleming Alumni Veterans Award Recipients:
- Gen. Alfred Maximilian Gruenther: In October 1941, Gruenther was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and became deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff of the Third Army. His immediate commanding officer was Dwight D. Eisenhower. He continued to be promoted, ultimately serving as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) from 1953 to 1956. Gruenther was the recipient of many national medals, including the Distinguished Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters. Following retiring from the military in 1956, Gruenther became president of the American Red Cross.
- Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryan: Ryan was stationed at Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Riley and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and in Morocco and Italy during WWII. He rose through the ranks to become deputy chief, and from 1954 to 1958, chief of Army chaplains. He retired from the military in 1958. Awards he received include the Legion of Merit, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation with award star.