Men For Others: Wolverines Serving Our Nation

(This article was first published in the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine - Summer 2024 edition.)

Seeking the Magis: Belen Alumni Reflect on Their Experiences as U.S. Military Academy Graduates and How Belen Jesuit Impacted Their Decision to Serve.

 

“Belen teaches you to be a man for others, to be a “servant leader.” My entire adult life has been dedicated to serving our nation. To be clear, our nation is not a flag, it’s not an anthem, it’s not a monument. Our nation’s essence is its people. Over the years I’ve discovered service takes on many forms, but it starts (and ends) with taking care of people.”

Col. (Ret.) Armando Fiterre ’86

U.S. Air Force Academy ’92

 

Students at Belen Jesuit learn early that the school’s Jesuit education has a special emphasis — that of educating them to become men for others. “My classmates and I heard it at least once a day,” said Lt. Cmdr. Giancarlo Bertaina ’01 (U.S. Naval Academy ’06). He added, “I really took it to heart.” While serving others can take many forms, perhaps the risks and sacrifices that come with military service best embody St. Ignatius’ appeal to “Give without counting the cost.” 

 

It also perfectly represents the Ignatian precept of Magis — moving out of one’s comfort zones, striving for excellence, giving more of oneself in the service of others. Several Belen alumni, also graduates of our country’s military academies, spoke recently about the sacrifices and rewards of military service — deployments around the world, time away from family, maintaining battle readiness on land and sea, monotonous but essential duties juxtaposed with dangerous missions and terrifying moments, but also an unrivaled sense of purpose. Capt. Sebastian Wermuth ’13 (Air Force Academy ’17) noted, “St. Ignatius himself served as a soldier as a young man.” He continued, “From the moment I arrived at Belen in August 2006, the entire faculty — teachers, priests and even disciplinarians — imparted to us the importance of serving others.”

 

Bertaina also acknowledged Belen’s focus on service propelled him toward military service, but there was another reason. He is a first-generation American whose parents and grandparents were forced to leave their home in Cuba, moved to the U.S. in 1964 and built a new life. “This country allowed them to re-establish themselves. I wanted to give something back to the country that gave them so much,” he said. The sentiment was echoed by Lt. (Ret.) Erik Bethel ’87 (U.S. Naval Academy ’92). “My desire to serve came from an appreciation and respect for the United States — a country that took in my family from communist Cuba,” he noted.

 

Lt. (Ret.) Juan Fanjul ’89 (U.S. Naval Academy ’93), also recalled that Belen instilled in its students a sense of gratitude for the United States. “As part of the Cuban exile community, there is great appreciation for the defense of freedom and capitalism and the notion that ‘freedom isn’t free,’” he commented.

 

Midshipman Gabriel Nguyen ’21 (U.S. Naval Academy ’25) recounted how both his grandfathers served in their countries’ militaries — Nicaragua and South Vietnam — and were ultimately banished from their homelands because of civil war. “They came here with nothing,” said Nguyen, “And were able to create a great life and provide for their families.” He credits the opportunity given to his family by the U.S. and Belen’s imperative to be men for others, leading him toward a military career.

 

Cadet Joseph Duran ’23 (Air Force Academy ’27) remembers Belen’s president, Fr. Willie, S.J. ‘87, telling him and his classmates to “run to the fire.” He continued, “Without Belen and the way I was brought up over the last seven years, I would not have been able to make the same choice. Belen’s biggest point is that they want us to leave as Jesuit-educated men who can go out and do whatever we set our minds to, and to do so with the intent of making the world a better place.”

 

And Wermuth talked about his great-grandfather and grandfather’s military experiences. “Both my great-grandfather and my grandfather served in the U.S. armed forces. My great-grandfather served with the Marine Corps through World War II and Korea — he was actually in command of the Marine detachment aboard the U.S.S. Argonne at Pearl Harbor during the attacks on December 7, 1941. My grandfather served in the Navy and flew the P-2 Neptune during the Vietnam War. He was a proud Naval Academy grad and I remember how highly he spoke of the service academies throughout my childhood.”

 

What would they tell Belen’s young men who might be considering military service? Fiterre offered this advice, “Those who join the military or earn a slot at a military academy need to have the self-motivation to see themselves through the challenges that will be thrown their way. Once you commit yourself to seeing these challenges through, nothing will stop you.”

 

Fanjul advises students who feel a calling to serve and would like to attend a military academy to study hard and get physically fit.  

 

Nguyen acknowledged that although he had prepared himself for a tough “Plebe” year, it was even harder than expected. He reflects, “It’s been harder than I’ve expected, but the bonds I’ve created have been stronger than I expected.”

 

Bertaina offered, “Military service can be repetitive and boring, and it can also be challenging and terrifying, but at the end of the day it’s meaningful and fulfilling; you understand why life is so precious and you want to protect it at all costs.”

 

But perhaps Bethel’s words sum it up most cogently: “Military service aligns with the concept of Magis by encouraging the pursuit of excellence, integrity and continuous improvement. It embodies selfless service and sacrifice for the greater good... Ultimately, viewing military service through the lens of Magis transforms it into a lifetime dedicated to justice, peace and working for the greater glory of God.”