GIVING Monika Blackwell, Catherine del Castillo, and Linda McCormick
Story by DORIAN MARTIN Dimitri del Castillo had a zest for life, a commitment to excellence, a passion for service, and a genius for leading others. That charismatic combination helped the Houston native graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point and become an Army Ranger. Those traits were also critical in ensuring that all the men in his platoon survived during a 2011 firefight with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Sadly, that battle, which lasted about eight days, took Dimitri’s life as well as seven soldiers in other units and a military dog named Agdar. Dimitri’s bravery and sense of duty spurred his elementary school teacher, Linda McCormick, to establish the Veterinary Valor Fund in Memory of Dimitri del Castillo at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) in his memory. The endowed fund, created through the Texas A&M Foundation, kickstarts a program to help the college’s nationally recognized
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“It is so important that we recognize the sacrifices active military members and veterans have made. We envision this fund as a tangible way to show servicemen and women how much Texas A&M appreciates and values their service.” - SHEILA CARTER Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) provide top veterinary care to military dogs with unexpected veterinary medical bills, medically retired veterans’ service dogs, and VMTH patients whose owners are active military service personnel. “It is so important that we recognize the sacrifices active military members and veterans have made,” said Sheila Carter ’91, VMTH associate director. “We envision this fund as a tangible way to show servicemen and women how much Texas A&M appreciates and values their service.”