Francisco “Frank” Morales, a decorated veteran of the U.S. Army and director of the Military Aligned Students Program at St. Bonaventure University, will be honored Friday on campus for his induction to the New York state Senate’s Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
Morales was officially inducted to the Hall of Fame in May at a ceremony in Albany, but state Sen. George Borrello will be on hand Friday at 2:30 p.m. in SBU’s Doyle Conference Center to celebrate Morales’ induction.
Morales was nominated by Borrello in recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to the nation and fellow veterans.
The annual recognition, established in 2005, is bestowed upon a veteran from each Senate district in the state who has not only served valiantly in the military but has also made outstanding contributions on behalf of their community as a civilian.
“Frank Morales enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and served 20 years with tremendous distinction, ultimately attaining the rank of master sergeant. Among his many awards is the Silver Star Medal, bestowed on him for his heroic actions on Aug. 26, 2006, when Morales’s unit was ambushed by over 60 Taliban soldiers. Morales was able to lead his men through the battle and save four wounded soldiers,” Borrello said.
Morales’s Army tenure also included deployments in the Balkans, Africa, and twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Morales’s final U.S. Army assignment was to St. Bonaventure as a senior Military Science instructor in the university’s Army ROTC program.
Morales also received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat. After 20 years of service, he received numerous awards for achievement and earned the Combat and Expert Infantry Badges, the Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, and the Drill Sergeant Badge.
After concluding his Army tenure, Morales earned a master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and worked in counseling for several years before becoming director of the St. Bonaventure Office of Veterans Services.
A member of the university’s ROTC Hall of Fame, Morales lives in Portville, New York, with his wife, Crystal, and their children Christian, Julian and Isabella.
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