Fred Salerno ’61 By Shawna Gallagher Vega Xavier students materialize in and around the S/SGT John Simonetti Student Commons throughout the school day, studying, talking, and collaborating on projects. A website detailing Simonetti’s story, www.staffsgtjohnsimonetti.com, has been unveiled, giving further life to the memory of a man who perished in St. Germain d’Elle, France, on June 16, 1944. Just 26 when he was killed by a German sniper’s bullet during World War II, Simonetti never had the opportunity to know his nephew, Fred Salerno ’61, who was a year old when his uncle died. But his memory loomed large in young Salerno’s life, from the photos of him that decorated the Queens home he shared with three generations of his family, to the rosaries he and his family offered for Simonetti’s soul—to Xavier itself. “My mother and my grandmother were so proud that I went to this military high school,” Salerno recalled. “In those days, extended families lived together and pooled their meager resources just to survive, so to have their child go to Xavier was something very special. And there’s no doubt that the Jesuit education I received here was a turning point in my life.” In the 56 years since his graduation, Salerno has repaid his alma mater with extraordinary commitment, from his service as a trustee to his leadership of the Stand So All the World Can See capital campaign in the early 2000s. When the opportunity to support Fernandez-Duminuco Hall came around, Salerno felt compelled to honor Xavier while also memorializing his mother’s younger brother, whose remains had only recently been found. “Supporting the Fernandez-Duminuco Hall effort was a win-win for me,” Salerno said. “I had an opportunity to give back to Xavier and create an ideal location for a memorial to my uncle.” In 2009, a construction crew discovered Simonetti’s dog-tagged skeleton in St. Germain d’Elle, 15 years after Salerno himself toured the town. At the end of his trip, he left his business card with a farmer’s wife and wrote the name “Simonetti” on the back, setting in motion an incredible series of events that finally carried his uncle home to rest. With more than 100 family members looking on, the young soldier was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in 2010, 66 years after his death. The late Cardinal Edward Egan, a family friend, celebrated his funeral Mass and presided at graveside. Now, seven years later, Xavier’s Simonetti Student Commons ensures that his memory lives on. “Establishing the memorial can never erase the tragedy of losing John,” Salerno said, “but the chance to showcase the life and honor the sacrifice of an American hero at such a wonderful place as Xavier is something for which I am exceedingly grateful.”
XAVIER MAGAZINE 21