'08 Inductees

Seneca Battalion Hall of Fame

Members Inducted in 2008

 
Jim DiRisio '86
LTC (Ret), US Army

James M. DiRisio was raised in Fairport, New York and graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Mass Communications. He was commissioned a Chemical Corps Second Lieutenant through the ROTC program in 1986. After completion of the Chemical Officer Basic Course he was Assistant S3/Chemical Officer, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division and later Executive Officer, 101st Chemical Company, 1st Corps Support Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In June of 1990, he left active duty and joined the 401st Civil Affairs Company, an Army Reserve unit in Webster, New York. Mobilized in January 1991, he deployed with the 401st to Southwest Asia, where he became the Assistant S5, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Iraq and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm.

Upon returning to the United States, he graduated from the Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Course and remained in the reorganized 401st Civil Affairs Battalion from 1991 until 1996, serving as the Arts and Monuments Officer and as a Direct Support Team Chief. He was mobilized again in June 1996 and deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he became the S5 of 1st Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry in Task Force Eagle during Operation Joint Endeavor. In December 1996, he returned to the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion as the unit’s S4/Logistics Officer and in 1999 was selected to command the battalion’s General Support Detachment. He was assigned in February 2002 to the staff of the 98th Division (Institutional Training), Rochester New York, where he held several positions in the 98th Division’s G3 Section.

He was mobilized in September 2004 for the third time to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and was selected as Executive Officer to the Commanding General, Coalition Military Assistance Training Team (CMATT), Baghdad, Iraq. DiRisio served with CMATT throughout Iraq for one year until he returned to the 98th Division in October 2005. Selected as a Command and General Staff College instructor, he taught Intermediate Level Education as a Staff Leader in the 6th Brigade (Professional Development), 98th Division (IT) at Fort Dix, New Jersey and the United States Military Academy until he retired as a lieutenant colonel in February 2007. DiRisio has been a higher education administrator since 1991 and currently is the Director of Admissions at St. Bonaventure University. He has remained close to the Seneca Battalion and in 1997 assisted in the establishment of the Army ROTC Affinity Group and the ROTC Hall of Fame. He and his wife Mary have two children and reside in Olean, New York.

DiRisio is a graduate of several military schools, including the Combined Arms Staff Services School, USAF Middle Eastern Orientation Course, Command and General Staff College and the Command and General Staff College Faculty Development Program. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with Service Star, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Service Medal (Hourglass, Mobilization Device, Numeral Three), NATO Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge and numerous unit citations. His foreign decorations and badges include the Saudi Arabia Liberation of Kuwait Medal, Kuwait Liberation of Kuwait Medal and Republic of Honduras Parachutist Badge.

 
David W Hazen '63
COL (Ret), US Army

Born in Port Jervis, New York, David W. Hazen enrolled at St. Bonaventure University in 1958 and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1963. A Distinguished Military Graduate of the Army ROTC program, he was commissioned a Field Artillery second lieutenant and graduated with distinction from the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course.

His first assignment was with the 1st Battalion, 28th Field Artillery (8th Infantry Division) in Germany, where he served as a Platoon Leader, Assistant S3, S3 and Battery Commander from July 1963 until August 1966. He reported to An Khe, Vietnam in September 1966 and served as Assistant S3 in HHB, 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery for four months before being assigned as Assistant S3, HHB, 1st Field Force Artillery in Natrang, Vietnam for the remainder of his one-year tour. He returned to the United States and served as a Project Officer and later Chief of the Cannon Branch, Gunnery Department, U.S. Army Field Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma from August 1968 until May 1970.

During Hazen’s second tour of duty in Vietnam, from May 1970 to May 1971, he served as Chief of Intelligence Analysis, G2, XXIV Corps, Da Nang, Vietnam. He became Chief of the Systems Operations Branch and Project Manager at Fort Hood Texas in June 1971 and in July 1973 was assigned as Executive Officer, 2nd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In 1975 he became Chief, Force Development and Assistant G3 of the 101st Airborne Division. Hazen returned to overseas duty in August 1978 when he was assigned as the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery and Camp Pelham, Korea for one year.

He was selected as an Instructor and Assistant Professor of History at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York and taught there for two years before being named Chief of the Long Range Planning Division, ODSOPS, Department of the Army. He remained in the Pentagon as the Assistant for C2 Policy & Plans, U.S. Army Element, Office of the Secretary of Defense until June 1986. He returned to military instruction as the Director of U.S. National Security Studies, Department of National Security and Strategy, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Concurrently, he held the honorary General Dwight D. Eisenhower Chair of National Security Studies. His final military assignment was Chair, Department of National Security and Strategy at the War College. He retired as a colonel in 1993.

Hazen married Bernice Gilpin and together they raised four children. Following his retirement, he was elected to the Matamoras, Pennsylvania Borough Council and served as Council President. His civilian and military education includes a Master of Military Arts and Science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Master of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina, a Post-Master’s Advanced Management Program at Harvard University, the Field Artillery Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. In addition to being the Honorary Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery, his military awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2nd Award), Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal (4th Award), Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award), National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Vietnam Service Medal with Five Battle Stars, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd Award), Vietnam Commendation Medal, and Office of the Secretary of Defense and Army Staff Identification Badges.

 
LTC Thomas G B Kane '80
LTC (Ret), US Army

Thomas George Bonaventure Kane was born in Corning, New York and followed the example of his father, Daniel C. Kane ’54, by enrolling in St. Bonaventure University’s Army ROTC program. He received an ROTC Scholarship, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science and was commissioned as a Military Police second lieutenant in 1980. With an educational delay, he remained an Army Reserve officer while attending the Claude Pettit School of Law, Ohio Northern University, from which he was awarded his Juris Doctor in 1983. In January 1984, he began basic studies in military law at the University of Virginia and later that year completed the Judge Advocate General’s Basic Course at Fort Lee, Virginia.

His first assignment as a JAG officer was with the Trial Defense Service, Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as Defense Counsel for the 2nd Armored Division. He was promoted to captain and named Trial Counsel, Legal Assistance, Administrative Law Officer and International Law Officer for the 2nd Armored Division. In 1987 he was transferred to Carlisle Barracks to serve as the Assistant Post Judge Advocate, and was advanced to Post Judge Advocate from 1989 until 1992, during which time his office twice won the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance and was recognized by the TRADOC Communities of Excellence. He served as Legal Assistance Attorney for General Omar Bradley and his wife Kitty, and was instrumental in the settlement of the Bradley estate. His command prepared several thousand service members for deployment to during Operations Desert Shield and Storm, helping to make the post a key preparation site for future deployments, especially for key senior officers leaving for the Army War College for service in these war zones.

Kane left Carlisle in October of 1992 to take an Active Guard Reserve (AGR) position with the Pennsylvania National Guard as Pennsylvania’s full-time Judge Advocate General. He was promoted to major in 1993 and completed the Judge Advocate Advanced Course that same year. He completed Command and General Staff College in 1997 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1998. During this time, he drafted several key pieces of legislation, including a State AWOL law, an Interstate Compact for Mutual Assistance between the States, a Timbering Law for Fort Indiantown Gap and several provisions of a State Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act. A culminating experience came in a deployment to Lithuania as a military law and disaster assistance expert with the Partnership for Peace Program. There, Kane addressed government and military officials and served as a legal point of contact, which led to his assistance in the drafting of the Lithuanian constitution and several others laws and policies relating to the establishment of their armed forces and disaster assistance processes.

Selected for promotion to colonel in 2002, he graduated from the Air War College and on February 1, 2004, retired from the United States Army as a lieutenant colonel. He continues to serve as a GS-14 civilian attorney for the United States Army, with duty as the Installation Legal Officer, U.S. Army War College and Carlisle Barracks. Married to Yvonne Lee Kane, he is the father of six children and his extensive community service includes leadership positions with the National Youth League, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Knights of Columbus, Boy Scouts of America and St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Parish. His military awards include five Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal (second award), two Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medals, two Pennsylvania Commendation Medals and several lesser federal and state medals and service ribbons.

 
Lois Rappl Morales '82
COL, US Army

Lois Mary Rappl was born in Rochester, New York, graduated from Bishop Kearney High School and attended Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. She transferred into St. Bonaventure University as a junior, and like her father Norbert J. Rappl ’52, enrolled in Army ROTC. She graduated from St. Bonaventure with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ordnance branch.

She completed the Ordnance Officer Basic Course at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland and graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. In March 1983, she reported to Kaiserslautern, Germany where she served as a Staff Supply Officer and Protocol Officer during the first part of her tour, then became a Platoon Leader and later Executive Officer of the 903rd Maintenance Company. In 1985, she married CPT James Morales. During her final year in Germany, she was the Maintenance Management Officer of the 87th Maintenance Battalion, having been promoted to first lieutenant and captain while on active duty.

Captain Lois Morales left active duty in June 1987 and became a U.S. Army Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Materiel Officer for the Army Logistics Center, Fort Lee, Virginia. In 1992, she became the S1 of the 320th Military Police Battalion in Ashley, Pennsylvania. A brief reassignment to the Control Group followed and in February 1995, she began her long-term association with the 75th Division (Exercise). Her first assignment with the 75th Division was as the Senior Simulation Coach in the division’s 1st Brigade, Houston, Texas. Promoted to major in October 1997, she was assigned as Secretary to the General Staff and, in May 1999, was selected as the Chemical Team Chief, 4th Brigade, 75th Division in Houston. In September 2000 she became Commandant of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Division, serving in that capacity until August 2002. She was promoted to lieutenant colonel in June 2002 and was selected to command 1st Battalion (Logistics Support), 382nd Regiment, 75th Division at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

She was the first woman to command a battalion in the 60-year history of the 75th Division and mobilized with it from January to November 2003, when she was responsible for the training of soldiers deploying from CONUS for the Global War on Terror. Following her highly successful battalion command, Morales became the Deputy G4 of the 75th Division till 2007. Following her promotion to colonel, Morales is presently a Simulation Team Chief in 1st Battle Command Training Brigade. Colonel Lois Morales is married to Colonel James Morales. They live in Dallas, Texas with their three sons Dustin, Kyle, and Karl Morales.

In addition to the Ordnance Officer Basic and Basic Airborne Courses, Morales is a graduate of the NBC School, the Ordnance Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms and Services Staff School and Command and General Staff College. She is also member of the Army War College of 2008 and due to graduate in July. Her awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Achievement Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), National Defense Service Medal (1 Bronze Service Star), Global War on Terror Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Bronze Hourglass and M Device), Silver Hour Glass, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Parachutist Badge, and German Proficiency Badge.

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