St. Bonaventure ROTC to honor cadets, add three to Hall of Fame prior to hosting its annual Military Ball

The Seneca Battalion of the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at St. Bonaventure University will have a busy day Saturday, March 24, as it honors this year’s top cadets, inducts three veterans into the university’s ROTC Hall of Fame, and caps the day by hosting its annual Military Ball.

Events begin with a 10 a.m. ceremony in the University Chapel, Doyle Hall, to recognize four cadets for outstanding achievement. Honored will be senior Noel Baez, a sport studies major from Walden, N.Y.; Patrick McCormack, a junior journalism and mass communication major from Hartford, Conn.; Michael Rickicki, a sophomore philosophy major from Friendship, N.Y.; and Stuart Harper Jr., a freshman international studies major from Elma, N.Y.

Members of local veterans organizations and Friends of the Seneca Battalion will present awards to several other deserving cadets as well.

Immediately following this program, the battalion will induct three SBU alumni into the ROTC Hall of Fame:

● John G. Aicher, SBU class of 1952, of Southold, N.Y., a distinguished military graduate who served 11 years in uniform, including service in Korea, and attained the rank of captain before embarking on a successful career in law;

● Gene W. McConville, ’83, of Centreville, Va., retired Army colonel whose military career included assignments in Africa and South Africa, the Balkans, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Pakistan;

● Joseph E. Potter, ’66, of Centreville, Va., a helicopter pilot who recorded 1,400 combat hours in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968 and was shot down twice, sustaining injuries both times. He served as an Army aviator with the Virginia National Guard through 1974, when he began a career as an insurance broker.

“All have made significant contributions to the improvement of the Seneca Battalion and the furthering of the standards and ideals that make the ROTC experience at St. Bonaventure unique,” said Lt. Col. Sean D. Coulter, professor of military science and Seneca Battalion officer in charge. “Each has achieved distinction in his military and civilian professions and each has proudly represented the U.S. Army and St. Bonaventure University.”

Complete biographies of the inductees are available on the St. Bonaventure ROTC website: www.sbu.edu/rotchalloffame.

Saturday’s activities will conclude with the ROTC Military Ball, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Carter Events Center, 2383 W. Five Mile Road in Allegany. The keynote speaker is Dr. K. James Evans, vice president and dean of Student Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

“Dr. Evans has been a key member of the ROTC team since 1980 when he was involved in expanding the Seneca Battalion to include Pitt-Bradford,” said Coulter. “He served in the U.S. Air Force before beginning his long and distinguished academic career with the University of Pittsburgh.”

Evans is a 2013 inductee into St. Bonaventure’s ROTC Hall of Fame.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.  St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #5 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.