Col. James Kipers, Distinguished Military Graduate, Class of 1971

Col. James Kipers has had an outstanding 29-year career in the U.S. Army. He specialized in logistics and combat support initiatives in Europe, Korea, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as multiple leadership roles in the United States. He also has been instrumental in organizing and collaborating with his Bonaventure classmates for our 45th, 50th, and 52nd reunions on campus.

His sense of humor and his leadership skills coincide with the Franciscan values that he embraced 53 years ago as a student and he exhibits them continuously in his relationships with others today. Jim fits the classic definition of a “class act."  We are very proud to nominate him for the St. Bonaventure University ROTC Hall of Fame. 

Col. Kipers graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from St. Bonaventure in May 1971 and was commissioned Regular Army as an Ordnance Officer with a two-year detail to the Field Artillery. His initial Assignment was at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, for Artillery Office Basic and then a two-year assignment to the Field Artillery Training Center. He then served in a myriad of company assignments, leading and training soldiers while planning complex logistic operations.

Col. Kipers served at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, as a training Battalion S-2/3, and later served as a company commander. Upon completion of the Ordnance Officer Advanced Course, he was assigned to the 19th Support Command, Korea, 1976-1977, as Supply Commodities Branch Chief. Col. Kipers returned stateside and was assigned to Letterekenny Army Depot, 1977-1979, as Maintenance Staff Officer. Upon successful completion of this tour of duty, he attended the Logistics Executive Development Course and graduated as the Distinguished Graduate.

Between 1980-1983, Col. Kipers was stationed in U.S. Army Europe, V Corps, where he served as 4th Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, 64th Support Battalion S-3 and then as Brigade Material Management Officer. He then moved to the 8th Infantry Division, 708th Maintenance Battalion where he served as Battalion Executive Officer.

In January, 1984 Col. Kipers attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia, with follow-on assignment to the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Command, as a Logistics Staff Officer. After completing this assignment, he assumed duties with the 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, NY in February 1985 where he served as Division Support Command S-2/3 from February 1985 - October 1987.

Col. Kipers returned to Korea in 1987 and was the Senior Logistic Officer for Combat Support Coordination Team 3, supporting the Third Republic of Korea Army. He then returned to upstate New York where he served in successive assignments in the 10th Mountain Division Support Command as the Division Material Management Officer and Commander, 710th Main Support Battalion. Upon completion of command, he served as the Director of Logistics, Ft. Drum, and supported the 10th Mountain Division’s deployment to and return from Somalia.

He graduated from the U.S. Army War College in June 1994 and went on another tour of duty with the U.S. V Corps, Europe. Significantly, in August of 1995, the Army selected Col. Kipers to command the 1st Armored Division Support Command (DISCOM). As the commander, he was responsible for leading all logistics efforts for a 14,000 Soldier Armored Division spread across numerous locations in Europe. He was responsible for planning and executing the deployment, sustainment operations and redeployment of 1st Armored Division forces to Bosnia-Herzegovina in support of the initial peacekeeping forces in 1996.

Col. Kipers returned stateside for a final assignment as the Chief of Staff, Combined Arms Support Command, from August 1997 until retirement from the Army in 2000. 

Col. James Ryan, Class of 1988

Col. Jim Ryan was commissioned in 1988 from St. Bonaventure University where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration. His military education includes the Quartermaster Basic and Advance Courses, Mortuary Affairs Officer Course, Support Operations Course, and Combined Arms Services and Staff School. He is a graduate of the Army and Navy Command and General Staff Colleges.

Col. Ryan holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College, and a master's in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.   
 
Col. Ryan started his career as a Field Service Platoon Leader, Class II, IV, and VII Storage Officer, Accountable Officer with the 26th Supply and Service Company, 142d Supply and Service Battalion, Germany. He served as the Plans and Operations Officer in the DISCOM, 7th ID. Upon completion of his tour in Germany, he was assigned to Korea where he served with the 302d Forward Support Battalion, 2ID, as the Battalion Support Operations Maintenance Officer before taking command of the Headquarters and Supply Company. 

Subsequently, Col. Ryan was selected for Training With Industry at Walmart Stores Inc. with a follow-on assignment to the United States Army Quartermaster Center and School at Fort Lee, Virginia, where he served as a Training, Assessment, and Counseling Officer for the Officer Basic Course. He served as the Chief, Regimental Plans and Operations, for the Office of the Quartermaster General.   
 
Col. Ryan subsequently served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as the Brigade S4, 18th Field Artillery Brigade, Support Operations Logistics Officer, G3 1st COSCOM, Support Operations Officer, 782d MSB, and Executive Officer, 407th FSB, 82d Airborne Division. After moving to Italy, he continued his career, serving as the Logistics Planner for USASETAF (Airborne).

He deployed to Afghanistan as the Chief of Plans and Operations, CJTF76 CJ4, where he was responsible for Mortuary Affairs and the Dignified Transfer of Remains. Upon his redeployment to Italy, Col. Ryan took command of the 173rd Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne) and moved it to Germany before deploying to Afghanistan for the second time. After completing command, he returned to the U.S. and served at the Pentagon in the Logistics Initiatives Group, U.S. Army G-4. He took command of the 15th Sustainment Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas, followed by another overseas assignment in Korea where he served as the Deputy Commander, 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command.

He then returned to Fort Bragg where he served as the Chief of Staff, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, followed by a third deployment to Afghanistan where he was the USARFOR J4, in Bagram. Col. Ryan’s last assignment returned him and his family back to Northern Virginia and the U.S. Army G-4, Pentagon. 
 
After retirement, Col. Ryan worked as an Operations Manager for Amazon Inc., before moving on to a Senior Project Manager position for Octo Consulting Group. He currently works as a Senior Project Manager for IBM and resides in Manassas, Virginia, with his wife and two children. 
 
Col. Ryan has earned the Parachute Rigger badge, the Air Assault badge, Jumpmaster badge, Canadian foreign parachute jump qualification badge and Army Staff Identification Badge. His decorations include the Legion of Merit with 3 OLC, Bronze Star Medal with 1 OLC, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 4 OLC, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with 1 OLC, Korea Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with 5 OLC, the Army Achievement Medal, and the Overseas Service Medal Eighth Award. He is also a recipient of the Quartermaster Honorable Order of Saint Martin.  

Capt. Patrick J. Lafferty, Distinguished Military Graduate, Class of 1988

Capt. Patrick Lafferty is the exemplary St. Bonaventure ROTC alumnus, distinguishing himself as both a U.S. Army Officer and as a leader in our nation’s civilian sector. Pat’s leadership as a cadet in the Seneca Battalion was recognized early by peers, cadet leadership, and military instructors. He led from the front, attending U.S. Army Airborne School as a cadet and culminated his studies in 1988 as a Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) upon commissioning as an officer in the Military Police Corps.

Though only serving seven years as an officer-leader, Pat would leave an indelible mark on the soldiers he led and the operations in which he was involved. He earned the coveted Ranger Tab, participated in combat and operational deployments to Iraq, Panama, and Haiti, serving as a Platoon Leader, Aide de Camp, Company Commander, and Operations Officer.
   
Pat was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police (MP) Corps from St. Bonaventure University ROTC in 1988. Over a seven-year career as a soldier, Pat served with the 59th Ordnance Brigade and the 18th MP Brigade in Germany, the 14th MP Brigade in Iraq, and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York.

Following assignments as Platoon Leader and Aide de Camp in the 59th Ordnance Brigade, Pat joined the 59th MP Company as it deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq during Operation Desert Shield/Storm. There, he and his soldiers helped capture 3,500 Iraqi soldiers, secured critical command posts and provided area security in avenues of advance inside Iraq.

While a Company Commander with the 10th MTN DIV, he led his soldiers through two operational deployments to Panama and Haiti. During his deployment to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy, Pat and his company enabled the peaceful return to power of the Haitian president, safeguarded the citizens, and retrained the nation’s security force. His awards and decorations include Airborne Wings, Air Assault Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Bronze Star Medal.

Following his distinguished military career, Pat began to apply his SBU Mass Communications degree in the advertising and marketing industry, where, over the next 25 years, he has held a variety of positions of increased responsibility, applying the leadership skills he gained in his military career.

Pat spent the first 10 years of his civilian career at Leo Burnett Advertising Agency, rising from an account supervisor to senior vice president, leading advertising campaigns for the Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, and Allstate companies. During this period, he also played a leading role in recruiting efforts for the U.S. Army, facilitating the achievement of recruiting goals for the first time in four years.

He then transitioned to Travel Channel Media, where he was senior vice president and chief marketing officer, transforming the company from a linear TV network to an integrated travel media business. Pat and his team grew every critical metric (ratings, revenue, and distribution) by over 20% and would lead the company through its merger with the Discovery Networks.

Selected for the critical position of global managing director at McCann Erickson Worldwide, Pat oversaw accounts for the network’s top 15 global businesses, including American Airlines, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, and Coca-Cola. He was later promoted to serve as COO of North American operations, where he co-led the turnaround of the 400-person, global headquarters of the world’s largest marketing network and provided operational leadership of the 1,400-person North American region. 

Pat next served as the chief executive officer (CEO) for North America for the creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). During his tenure, he expanded the agency's offerings in several ways, most notably acquiring and integrating digital agency Domani Studios. During this time, the agency earned one of the industry’s highest accolades, an Integrated Grand Prix at the Cannes Creativity Festival. 

He would then serve as the president of independent agency Translation, leading the most culturally proficient marketing team in the country, earning the recognition as Standout Agency of the Year. Pat was then selected to serve as the president for U.S. operations at McGarryBowen, leading its 700-person U.S. team in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his time as president, the agency achieved double digit growth and creative accolades. In 2019, Ad Age named McGarryBowen among its “Best Places to Work” and an “Agency A-List” honoree. 

Pat is the chief operating officer (COO) of Acceleration Community of Companies (ACC), a marketing, media and communications community that delivers innovative, multi-platform solutions, finding alternative approaches to traditional offerings. As COO, Pat is responsible for leading the network’s operating group and Business Performance Partners (BPP), while also accountable for driving ACC’s various business units and supporting their financial, operational, and business enterprise needs.

He holds a B.A. in Communications from SBU and an M.B.A. from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He and his wife, Maureen, have four children.

Col. Richard F. DiMarco, Distinguished Military Graduate, Class of 1994

Rich DiMarco graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Rochester, New York, and earned an ROTC scholarship to attend St. Bonaventure University. He served as the Seneca Battalion Commander, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science, was a Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 1994.

While a member of the Seneca Battalion, he completed the U.S. Army Airborne and Air Assault courses.  Following the Infantry Officer Basic Course, he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) where he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Scout Platoon Leader and company Executive Officer.  During his assignment to Fort Campbell, his unit deployed to Panama in support of troop withdrawals and the Post 2000 talks when the U.S. was returning installations back to the government of Panama. 

Col. DiMarco was then selected to attend the Aviation Officer Advanced Course with a follow-on assignment to Fort Lewis, Washington. He was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division where he served as the Brigade Adjutant. He was then assigned to command Charlie Company, 5-20 Infantry. During this time the Army was developing and fielding its first Stryker Brigade at Ft. Lewis. His company was selected by the Brigade to serve as the model Stryker company and was featured in that year’s Army Green Book.

After a successful company command, he was selected for a second command at the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). On Sept. 11, 2001, he was serving as the Assistant Brigade Operations Officer when flight 77 struck the Pentagon during the terrorist attack on America. Within hours, he was positioned at the Pentagon to coordinate with local and federal authorities in support of The Old Guard’s contingency operations plan. For the duration of the recovery effort, he served as the lead planner and liaison officer to the FBI, FEMA and Military District of Washington. He coordinated and executed the Army’s remains recovery operation at the Pentagon until all 184 victims were successfully recovered. For their efforts, his unit was Awarded the Superior Unit Award.

Col. DiMarco then assumed command of Hotel Company where he was in charge of the U.S. Army Caisson Platoon, U.S. Army Drill Team, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Presidential Salute Battery until he was selected to participate in the Military Professional Exchange Program in 2003.

In 2003, he was again assigned to the 101st with a duty assignment in the United Kingdom. He was assigned as a joint planner in the 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team (UK). Immediately upon arrival in April 2003, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed to the Al Amarah Province, he worked in the Operations Cell to coordinate the identification, registration and employment of ex-Iraqi army officials in the province. Once redeployed, he served to assist the British Army in establishing doctrine and procedures for integrating air maneuver and ground maneuver elements in support of the UK’s first AH-64 fieldlings.

In 2006, Col. DiMarco was selected to attend the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth. After graduating from CGSC, he was assigned back to the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (TOG) to serve as the Battalion Operations officer and Executive Officer. During his tenure, he was responsible for Memorial Affairs and the dignified transfer of remains for all veterans and those killed in the Global War on Terrorism. In January 2007 his unit executed the State Funeral for President Gerald Ford.

Col. DiMarco then transitioned to become a Force Manager (FA 50) and attended the How the Army Runs course at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. As a Force Manager he was assigned to the Force Development Directorate in HQDA Army G-8. His assignments entailed managing funding for critical Army programs and equipment directly supporting the Global War on Terrorism. DiMarco was then picked to serve as the executive officer to the Director of Resources, a 2-Star Senior Executive Service civilian who manages the multi-billion-dollar Army Equipping Program Evaluation Group (EE PEG). 

Col. DiMarco finished his career serving as the Strategic Analysis Division Chief in the Army National Guard G-3 Force Management Division in Arlington, Virginia. 

Col. DiMarco is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, earned the Expert Infantryman’s Badge and was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, he was awarded the British Airborne Badge and Queen of England’s Medal for service in the GWOT.  Other awards include the Army Staff Identification Badge, GWOT Expeditionary and Service Medals and numerous other medals for his years of service.

His greatest accomplishments in life are his two sons and his marriage to a fellow Bonnie.

Lt. Col. Martin 'Red' McAndrews Jr., Class of 1960

Lt. Col. Martin “Red” McAndrews Jr. graduated from the Portsmouth Priory (now Portsmouth Abbey) in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. A letterman in basketball, he graduated in 1956 and then selected St. Bonaventure for college, where he met his roommate he would have for all four years, Sam Stith.

Second Lieutenant McAndrews graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1960 with a degree in economics. He served as Artillery Officer from 1960-1980, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his 20 years of service, he received numerous commendations and accolades, which included two tours in Vietnam.

Upon graduation and commissioning in May of 1960, Second Lieutenant McAndrews travelled to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for his basic officer course, which included some of the most intensive training any Army officer completes. The Army then sent him to serve at Camp Pelham, Korea, which was still very much in the initial stages of the Armistice that still stands to this day.

From there, he moved to Fort Sheridan, Illinois where he met his wife, Rose, who was a Navy nurse at the nearby Naval Station Great Lakes. 

The United States was quickly becoming engaged in Vietnam. The Army sent Capt. McAndrews to Fort Benning, Georgia, for advanced combat training, and soon after he departed for the first of two tours to Vietnam. He performed exceptionally during both of his tours in 1966-1967 and then in 1969-1970, earning three Bronze Stars for ground operations against hostile forces and one Air Medal for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

In this role, McAndrews was responsible for observing enemy positions and directing artillery fire while riding in Army helicopters and propeller planes. He was extremely vulnerable as every North Vietnamese soldier had their rifles and rockets trained upwards as he hovered and flew low over the battlefield. His iron-clad nerves and flawless attention to detail ensured that the rounds he directed were on time and on target every time. 

After he returned from combat, Maj. McAndrews served as an assistant professor of Military Science ROTC at Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, from 1970-1972. Soon after, the Army promoted him to lieutenant colonel and sent him to Fort Monroe, Virginia, to serve as an instructor at the Training and Doctrine Command. His final assignment was at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, which, at the time, was a critical node for research, development, and employment of our anti-ballistic missile defense systems.

He retired with full honors in 1980 after a highly successful term of duty to the nation. During his years in the service, Martin and his wife welcomed five daughters: Joanne, Mary, Amy, Margaret and Elizabeth. Over time, their family grew to include four sons-in-law and eight grandchildren. A dedicated father, he attended nearly all of his daughters’ many soccer games while moving between the numerous duty stations throughout their 20-year Army journey.

After his retirement in 1980, the family moved to Trumbull, Connecticut, where Lt. Col McAndrews was an active church volunteer and with the PTO of his daughters’ elementary school. He passed away at the age of 82 on July 29, 2021.