The notion of what it means to be a good man is at the heart of the mission of Saint David's School. This Seventh Grade Father/Son Dinner is an annual special event in which fathers or father figures, and sons explore what it means to be a good man, the relationship between parent and son, and other mission-inspired themes. We were thrilled to have fathers, sons, grandparents, brothers or other paternal influences in the lives of our boys at table together last week for this signature event--the first time we could hold it in person in the last two years.
This year's featured guest speaker, Kevin M. Callahan, wrote
Brothers in Arms: Remembering Brothers Buried Side by Side in American World War II Cemeteries. Callahan's book centers on the stories of brothers who died fighting for freedom during the Second World War. After graduating from Yale University, Mr. Callahan had visited the American cemetery at Normandy and was taken by both the beauty of the grounds and the sacrifice of so many. He realized that their sacrifice was what enabled him to "trek through a free and prosperous Europe some fifty years later." He was struck particularly by the grave site of Sgt. Frank McNally from New York, who at the time of his death was about the same age as Mr. Callahan. Then, ten years ago, when visiting the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery in Italy with his wife and three young sons, Mr. Callahan came across a pair of brothers buried side by side. He found the sight of the two brothers resting together to be especially poignant. This experience inspired him to find and tell the stories of all brothers buried side by side in American World War II cemeteries overseas.
The ultimate expression of "the good" is the sacrifice of one's own life to save the lives of others. For a family to lose more than one member to war is a sacrifice of exponential proportion and pain. Each serviceman who lost his life had a story and Mr. Callahan shared those of some of the brothers: the Roosevelts, the Bangs, and others who, while hailing from different backgrounds all served together, united by a sense of duty and purpose. We were moved by the tales of these brothers and their sacrifice for the greater good, and came away with much to contemplate and reflect upon.
The event's theme reinforced the enduring bonds of friendship and family, which we also celebrate during this dinner. Held in the spring of seventh grade just as our boys begin planning the transition to their next school and when their families are engaging in conversations about life and "what comes next," the evening focuses on the power of supportive and loving relationships. Thank you to our Development office for organizing and executing such a memorable experience and for the Neary family for helping us to secure this internationally renowned guest.
Ut viri boni sint.
