The Northeast Catholic Alumni Association held a variety of activities on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
A Mass was celebrated at St. Dominic by the Rev. Brian Connolly, the pastor, who offered a blessing to veterans. He was joined by the Rev. Vince Smith, of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.
After Mass, alumni walked along Frankford Avenue to the sites of the North Catholic banner that honors the 257 “Fallen Falcons” who have died in war, and the banner that honors Michael Strange, a 2004 North Catholic graduate who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Next, the crowd walked to the Father Judge banner honoring the 27 Crusaders who died in Vietnam. The banners were created by the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association.
Connolly conducted short prayer services at the stops, and there was a reading of the names of the 27 hometown heroes. Judge, like North, has St. Francis de Sales as its patron.
The North Catholic Veterans Committee then visited St. Dominic Cemetery to the gravesite of Army Pfc. Henry Lewis Grathwohl Jr., a 1939 North graduate who was killed in March 1945 in Germany during World War II. There, the names of the 199 North graduates killed in World War II were read and a wreath was placed.
In a visit to the grave of James F. Gormley, a North graduate who died post-World War II, the names of Strange and the grads killed in the Korean and Vietnam wars were read.
Bagpiper Gary Guth performed during the activities, which also included a police honor guard/rifle team, a bugler who played Taps and support from the Marine Corps League.
Finally, participants got out of the cold to have breakfast at the Liberty Bell Diner, which was offering a 50 percent discount to veterans. ••
