MailBoX The Class of 1943 My family appreciates the wonderful article on the five members of the class of ’43 that included my father, Leo Bedell. The article captures his personality very well. He is a no-frills guy, as evidenced by his reluctance to take on the mantle of hero and not offering a lot of details of the action surrounding his Silver Star citation. As a kid, I had a natural curiosity about his wartime experiences but also a sense that it wasn’t an open topic. His children respect that, just as we respect his “roll up your sleeves and get to work” attitude that he admitted helped him deal with the aftermath. It also helped him and my dear mother raise nine children, cope with the loss of a tenth to a childhood illness, start a successful business, and instill in us our Catholic values. Contrasting that reluctance in revisiting the horrors of the Central Pacific of 63 years ago is a letter written by my father, at the time a 23-year-old U.S. Navy ensign, to a grieving mother from Granger Township, Ohio. That mother, Mrs. Young, lived on a small farm there on the outskirts of Akron. Her 19-year-old son, LeRoy, a shipmate of my father’s, was killed off the shores of Iwo Jima two days prior to the assault by the U.S. Marines. My father told me of the visit he and my mother made to Mrs. Young shortly after my parents were married. During the visit, Mrs. Young presented that letter she kept safely pressed in the pages of her family Bible since receiving it upon her son’s death. It was a very poignant and moving letter offering my father’s consolation for her son’s sacrifice while bravely carrying out his duties, assurance that he did not suffer, and acknowledgement of the fine upbringing that she gave her son. It is a letter that belies the writer’s youth but affirms his leo W. Bedell sr. responsibility and sensitivity to the boy’s mother. Tom Brokaw, in his book The Greatest Generation, confirms the trademark silence of many of the WWII veterans. But, we should note, many of them have shared the pain of their wartime experiences with those that have suffered most as a result of the war. Thanks again for a fine article. Terry Bedell ’77 Stow, Ohio on the summer Issue Congratulations on the summer issue, and may future issues bring the school continued identity, plaudits, well wishes, and success in helping cement long-term goals and enrich the lives of students who prize their years at Alma Mater. Paul T. Bohn ’49 Rocky River, Ohio I appreciated the summer issue, especially the remembrance of Fr. Joe Schell. Credit should be given to him going back to the 1950s, when he started the Alumni Sodality composed mostly of graduates of JCU, Notre Dame College, and Ursuline College. We had a great group with Fr. Schell for many years. As a result of our meetings and work together, plus the friendship, many marriages came about from that group of friends. That was how I met my wife, Mary Lou. Going forward over 50 years, the members who are still around met at Bunny and Bob Hill’s house – by coincidence the day of Fr. Joe’s death. Fortunately, he had sent a letter to the group that was dated a few days earlier. Fr. Joe was a once-in-a-lifetime dedicated spiritual leader, friend, and advisor to many of us. Art Walters ’51 Rocky River, Ohio John Carroll magazine welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. E-mail journal@jcu.edu; fax to 216-397-3085; or send via U.S. mail to John Carroll Magazine, University Marketing and Communications, John Carroll University, 20700 North Park Boulevard, University Heights, OH 44118. 3 FALL 2008 John Carroll university Photograph by Robert Müller previous page next page