CADET COLONELS
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earning to lead is a hallmark of the cadet colonel role that transcends generations. Philip Lacovara ’60, a celebrated lawyer who served as counsel to the Watergate special prosecutor in the early 1970s, absorbed a sense of discipline and ethical leadership. “Very few people wanted to march in the rain or stand at parade rest out on a hot football field. That self-discipline proved valuable,” he recalled. “And as cadet colonel I realized—partly at the time, but certainly in retrospect—that power is something to be used carefully and not abused.” “For me, it was the start of a career,” said Tom Healey ’72, a public relations and marketing executive who served as a Coast Guard reservist and volunteer firefighter. “I learned about understanding the people you lead, about the presence of management, the presence of leadership, and that continues to shape me. Cadet colonels get an opportunity, while relatively young, to try out different styles of leadership. It was a chance, quite frankly, to make mistakes and to learn from them.” Leading hundreds of young men as a teenager is a tremendous opportunity, but it often proves daunting. Rising to the challenge is a lesson in itself. “It was kind of overwhelming. You’re 17 years old and now have this responsibility that’s heaped upon you,” said CMDR John Pucciarelli, USN (Ret.) ’85, who took command of the Regiment just as beloved Senior Army Instructor SGM Ray Carney, USA (Ret.) P’96† fell ill and died. “I had people looking to me saying, ‘What do we do?’ We all loved the man. We went and represented Xavier at his funeral. I learned a lot helping the Regiment get through that.” Tom Healey served as cadet colonel from 1971-72, the pivotal first year of an optional Regiment. “It was a very difficult time,” Healey said as he recalled cadets being accosted while commuting to Xavier in their military uniforms. “But we learned from that. We learned not to judge people so much by what they look like on the outside. Even if you were against the war, people judged you based on the uniform you were wearing.” When President William Wood, S.J.† announced that the Regiment would become optional in the spring of 1971, onethird of the student body dropped out of the JROTC program. As Regimental commander, Healey’s central goal became uniting all of his fellow students. “There were a lot of people completely disappointed in the decision to make the Regiment optional, and on the other side, there were people who said this was the way of the future. I was kind of in the middle,” he recalled. “The first thing we needed to do was unify the student body, and that’s what I tried to do. I tried to be a role model and get along with everybody. We had a tremendous class and the classes behind us were tremendous. I give a lot of credit to my classmates, who were the seniors and the leaders of the school.” 28 XAVIER MAGAZINE
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or all its challenges, the cadet colonel role has long offered its occupants unique, lasting memories. Lacovara and Garvey recalled Colonels’ Day, an official investiture ceremony that took place annually in the Church of St. Francis Xavier. (These days, each year’s cadet colonel and Student Leadership Council president are recognized at September’s Mass of the Holy Spirit.) Other cadet colonels said their most memorable moments were simple ones. “The best times were always with my friends in the JROTC,” said Anthony Ciaffone ’03. “I had a great time going to summer camp at Fort Indiantown Gap, competing on the drill team, and attending the Military Ball.” “The daily interactions with our cadets, our cadre, and the community will always be most memorable for me,” said COL Bernard Harrington, USA ’93. “Whether in the Commons with the X-Squad, or standing on Fifth Avenue with the Regiment as we marched along the parade route, it's those moments of personal interactions with our team that I always try to reflect upon.” Almost universally, former cadet colonels cite leading the Regiment at the Columbus and St. Patrick’s Day Parades and meeting the Archbishop of New York as their favorite memories.
