Persons of Interest! #6: Sergeant Roman O. Briones, USA, Ret. (1919-2002)

I haven't done a POI post in a while, but I'd like to give a shout-out to a family member today.

That's him circled in red. Maraming salamat to my Silva cousins back in the Philippines! :D

Meet Roman Ona Briones, my great-uncle. He was born in the Philippines in 1919 as the United States was recovering from the First World War. He enlisted in the Philippine Constabulary sometime prior to the U.S. entry into World War II. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Constabulary was incorporated into the U.S. Army, and Lolo (that's the Tagalog word for grandfather) Roman found himself assigned to an military police unit.

With the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Lolo Roman participated in the defense of his homeland, seeing action in Manila and Bataan. He was later taken prisoner and was forced to undergo the Bataan Death March. During his imprisonment, he contracted malaria, and--to my surprise when I was checking his records--was released by the Japanese as a civilian, apparently "discharged" from military duty. However, for him and many other Filipinos, the war was far from over.

When the opportunity presented itself, Roman Briones became a guerilla fighter and resumed his fight against the Japanese army, eventually surviving the war to see the liberation of his homeland. By war's end, he made the rank of technical sergeant (a sergeant first class in today's U.S. Army) and earned four awards. He continued his military service in the Philippines shortly after the islands were given their independence and ranked up to first sergeant prior to his retirement. Afterwards, he lived out his retirement before he passed away in 2002.

I heard about Lolo Roman shortly after I myself had enlisted in the Army Reserve. A cousin of mine mailed his records to my house; from those records, I read his story and saw all his achievements during his service. Although I never got to know him, I now appreciate his service and that of all who served during arguably the world's greatest conflict to date. As we observe Veterans Day, let us all find inspiration and hope in the sacrifices our veterans and current service members have made.

Persons of Interest! #5: Father Vincent Capodanno, USN (1929-1967)

Work and school have settled in this month, and I have just arrived back home after a long three-week training with my unit. In spite of these new additions to my schedule, I am still determined to post at least a few things per month.

It has been a while since my last Persons of Interest! entry. I'm changing things up a bit for this series by introducing someone who I have not personally known, yet has made a big impact on my vocational discernment.

 

Last night, I watched a wonderful documentary on the life of this priest on EWTN, "Called and Chosen". Fr. Capodanno was born into a family strong in the Catholic faith. Vin, as he was affectionately known at home, discerned early on in this life that he wanted to be a priest and serve as a missionary. He was told he didn't have to do all of that and that he could serve the Church back home, but his heart pulled strongly towards bringing Christ to those who were less than able to come to Him.

After completing his first mission with the Maryknoll Fathers, Father Capodanno learned of the outbreak of the Vietnam War. Knowing in his heart that American forces needed the presence of God in this new conflict, he petitioned his superiors for permission to join the military as a chaplain. Again, many told him he didn't have to go, but he longed to serve those who were stationed afar. He commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and was eventually assigned to one of the Marine units fighting in Vietnam. Many Marines found solace in the presence of Fr. Capodanno, who often made it to the front lines with them, and he became a beloved figure among those he served. For his constant presence in the lives of these Marines, from serving Mass and hearing confessions to going on patrols, he earned the nickname of the "Grunt Padre".

On September 4, 1967, Marines found themselves pinned down by North Vietnamese forces during Operation Swift. Fr. Capodanno's unit was sent to where the fighting was thickest, and Fr. Capodanno, at the last minute, boarded the last helicopter headed to the hotspot. Once more, he was told he didn't have to go, but he knew many men would be needing comfort in the turmoil of war.

The priest, upon his arrival, rushed to aid the fallen. He comforted the wounded and the despairing; he gave last rites to the fallen; he helped drag people to safety; he did everything he could to convey the presence of Christ in a place where it seemed otherwise. However, in an attempt to rescue a wounded Navy Corpsman (medic), Fr. Capodanno was gunned down. For his courage and selfless service to his Marines, Fr. Vincent Capodanno was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award granted by the United States. His cause for canonization as a Saint in the Catholic Church has been opened as well, and many pray for the Grunt Padre's intercession to this day. His name is etched on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

With the 50th anniversary of his death coming on Monday, I find Fr. Capodanno's story to be inspiring for those discerning life in mission. Many will say we do not need to go so far to make such an impact. Perhaps that may be true in some cases, but Fr. Capodanno provides a beautiful example of self-sacrifice and the drive to bring Christ to others.

Servant of God Vincent Capodanno, pray for us!

Persons of Interest! #4: Charlie Company, 369th AG BN, 1st Platoon: Samurai

Having completed all training requirements, I am now qualified for my job in the Army! I should be set to come home this week and I'm aching to catch up upon arrival!

I'd like to shine the spotlight on my battle buddies. I have mentioned them in previous posts, but I very much stress their impact on me. Together, we have gone through quite the times. We've shared laughs, tears, and motivation all through these eight weeks of AIT. From struggling to stay awake in class to bowling at Ivy Lanes to rushing to recall formation back on post, I feel more built up as a person with the times I spent with them.

Now the time has come to go our separate ways. Some of us will be stationed away from our homes--even overseas--while others will be returning to serve our local communities. Each and every one of us has a unique story and lifepath, and all of these streams flowed into a beautiful experience during our time here. Now the time has come for these rivers to separate and go where they are directed.

Perhaps I will run into them again (Actually, that might happen with certain people this year. You know who you are.). Regardless of whether or not that happens, I pray that all of them find success and blessings throughout their lives, and I state again that I am proud to begin my service alongside them all.

A new generation of soldiers is about to emerge this week. Congratulations to all who made it!

SAMURAI UNITE! ONE TEAM ONE FIGHT!

Persons of Interest! #3: Echo Company 2-13th 3rd Platoon - Spartans

It feels good to access this blog again! I have recently just graduated Army Basic Combat Training, and it makes me proud to say that I have trained alongside the best men and women over those ten weeks.

From reception to graduation, I came to know these people as my battle buddies. Sure, we had our infights and whatnot, but we learned to work together as a team to complete our tasks. At the same time, we developed a strong bond, motivating each other to push beyond their perceived limits and become something more.


I can recall a vast array of memories made during BCT. Shenanigans in the bay, making way for Charlie Company at the dining facility, and my constant begging for a battle buddy to the restrooms. I could go on, but those will be for another post.


Some of these people left the platoon early on, others went on to Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at other posts, and others (myself included) stayed on post for our AIT. Regardless, I wish all of these people the best in their future endeavours.

Persons of Interest! #2: Dennis Ho

(I actually don't have this hair now as we speak. I cut it a while back.)

This is Dennis, a Vietnamese-American from Rockford currently studying at UIC. Like many of my close friends, I can't quite remember the exact moment we met. However, we got to know each other pretty quickly from wherever that point was, creating a friendship which would spice things up at Newman quite a bit.

From my perspective, Dennis is dedicated and very hard-working. Having to come all the way here to Chicago from Rockford, and then staying over the summer to work for campus housing...that's commitment. His activity with Newman should be duly noted as well, with him having a very strong faith, which is expressed through his service to the community.

It's been a while since I've seen him, but I hope to see him again at Newman or wherever. It feels a bit boring without him around to do our signature handshake.

Dennis, if you're reading this..Sup, Ho.

Persons of Interest! #1: Katie Soprych

As I continue to journey on the adventure of a lifetime--pardon the cheese--I not only encounter places; I will often run into people that make significant impacts on my life and shape the path I walk.

Based on a series of Instagram/blog posts done by another good friend of mine (check out her blog sometime), I've decided to start a Persons of Interest series on The Mapping. It's only appropriate that I take note of my friends and fellow adventurers, as I cannot truly traverse alone.

Which leads us to the inaugural post of this series.

Meet Katie Soprych.

Photo creds: Christy Manaois

I met her a year or two ago at the St. John Paul II Newman Center. We sometimes chatted a bit at Newman, though we hadn't been that close back then. It was only until recently, when we traveled to Rome and Krakow, that we became very close friends, our friendship sealed by the many memories made during the trip to World Youth Day 2016.

Katie is quite the adventurer, not afraid to act on her curiosity. She is definitely willing to step outside of her comfort zone and try something new, an attribute which definitely could prove useful for her, as she has recently been undergoing student leader training from Evangelical Catholic. It brings out the best--and often the funniest--out of her, and she is very outgoing. She has an extremely open heart and can also maintain some very interesting conversations.

(In other news, she's planning on building a very extravagant house with all the landmarks she's seen in Rome.)

I'm very blessed to have gotten to know her during the trip, and I believe she herself will have quite a big adventure (and a big map to complement it).