ALUMNI IN THE MILITARY
Jesuit High School’s ‘Men
for Others’ motto, and its
dedicated commitment to
service, has helped form hundreds
of alumni who have pursued
careers in the military. The school
itself has a brief military history
from World War II: the Jesuit High
School Battalion was organized on
March 10, 1942, serving as Jesuit’s
“principal contribution to the war
effort.” And before that, in the
school’s earliest days, when it was
known as Sacred Heart College in
downtown Tampa, news reports tell
of students marching in formation
in the street. In recent years, many
Jesuit alumni have proudly served
in all branches of the military, from
the Coast Guard and the Marine
Corps to the Army, Navy, and Air
Force – and soon the Space Force.
The tradition continues each year as
new Jesuit alumni join the military.
In the Class of 2020, three Tiger
football players signed with Army
West Point – Brett Gerena, Raleigh
Oxendine, and Spencer Williams,
and this year Jonas Jonsson ’21
accepted an appointment to the
Air Force Academy. In this feature
section, the stories of four Jesuit
alumni with distinguished careers in
the military are told: Army Colonel
Tony Bianchi ’93, Navy Rear Admiral
David Hahn ’81, Air Force Major
Dan Holder ’04, and Army Brigadier
General David Irwin ’78. Also, on
page 43, the My Perspective piece is
written by Naval Academy graduate
and Marine Corps combat veteran
Bruce Czaja ’85.
14 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • FALL 2021
Air Force Maj. Dan Holder ’04
FDan Holder
’04
Hon. Gregory Holder
D.A.
Kobliska
Coach (Mike)
Swierat’s