Posted November 2022
Veteran’s Day calls upon us to take a moment to thank those who have served in the United States military. To express our gratitude for our alumni Veterans, we’d like to highlight some of their stories and historic accomplishments. After reading about these alums, you’ll feel even more proud to call yourself a Terrier.
The younger sister of a Blackhawk pilot, Jennifer Byrne (Sargent’21) knew from a young age that she wanted to pursue a career in the military. At the advice of her older brother, she joined the Air Force, and worked in the hospital system as an occupational therapist. During her seven-year service, Byrne witnessed a shortage of mental health professionals, and identified the critical need for mental healthcare in the armed forces. After completing her military service and subsequently obtaining her doctorate of occupational therapy from Boston University, Byrne co-founded the nonprofit Shields and Stripes with former U.S. Special Forces Warfare Airman, Steve Nisbet. Providing service to military veterans and law enforcement professionals, Stars and Stripes offers psychological counseling, physical conditioning, nutrition, and occupational therapy. The organization aims to return heroes back to their lives, and help them feel like themselves again.
Self-described “local guy” Lt. Col. Enoch Woodhouse II (LAW’55) is one of the only surviving Tuskegee Airmen. Born into a family of Black preachers, Woodhouse grew up in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston. At the time Woodhouse enlisted in 1944, the military was still segregated. Woodhouse was commissioned as finance officer of the Tuskegee Airmen—America’s first all-Black military combat flying unit. The Tuskegee Airmen proved to be some of the most accomplished pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and their distinguished record played a significant role in President Harry Truman’s decision to end discrimination in the military. After leaving active duty, Woodhouse joined the Air Force Reserve. While a reservist, he earned his undergraduate degree from Yale. Woodhouse went on to earn his law degree from BU, and worked as an attorney in the U.S. State Department for 40 years. Woodhouse is also a recipient of the 2022 BU Distinguished Alumni Award.
Francesco “Paco” Chierici (Pardee’87) started his military career while studying at BU by taking advantage of the Naval ROTC program. During his active duty career, Chierici flew A-6E Intruders and F-14A Tomcats deployed to conflict zones from Somalia to Iraq, and was stationed aboard carriers including the USS Ranger, Nimitz, and Kitty Hawk. An avid dogfighter, he flew the F-5 Tiger II for ten years as a Bandit. Chierici accumulated 3,000 tactical hours, completed 400 carrier landings, and earned a Southwest Asia Service Medal with a Bronze Star and three Strike / Flight Air Medals. In addition to being a skilled pilot, Chierici loves to write. His work has been published extensively in Aviation Classics Magazine, AOPA Magazine, and Fighter Sweep. Chierici is also the author of Lions of the Sky, which chronicles his dramatic experiences flying in the Navy mixed with a bit of fiction. In addition, Chierici captured the essence of what it takes to be a fighter pilot in his 2008 award-winning documentary, Speed and Angels.
The daughter of a single immigrant mother, Gina Ortiz Jones (GRS’03, Pardee’03), is under secretary of the U.S. Air Force. Jones received a transformative Air Force ROTC Scholarship that would allow her not only the opportunity to receive her education from BU, but also serve her country. At BU, Jones earned a BA in East Asian studies and a BA and MA in economics. While Jones was studying at BU, the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy was still in effect, which required her to hide the fact that she was a lesbian. Today, Jones is proud to be the first open lesbian and the first woman of color to serve as under secretary of any military branch. Jones is the second-highest ranking civilian officer in the Air Force and Space Force. As under secretary, Jones is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping U.S. Air and Space Forces, and for the well-being of about 700,000 active-duty, guard, reserve, and civilian airmen and guardians around the world. Jones is also a recipient of the 2022 BU Distinguished Alumni Award.
Instead of becoming a brick mason like he originally planned, Dennis Via (Wheelock’88) decided to listen to the advice of one of his high school teachers and attend college. He enrolled at Virginia State University in the Army ROTC program, and became a distinguished military graduate. He was then commissioned in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, and became the first ever signal corps officer to attain the rank of four star general. Via would go on to the role of Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command, which oversaw a global workforce tasked with the supply of just about anything and everything a military service member could need. Via is an expert on defense-related cybersecurity, and has worked with partners to develop secure technologies for the armed forces. For his multitude of achievements, Via has earned a Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Army Distinguished Service Medal, and the 2019 BU Distinguished Alumni Award, among many others.
Dr. Christine Hunter (CAS’80, MED’80) earned both her BA and medical degrees at BU through an accelerated six-year program, making her a Double-Terrier. A distinguished alumna, she is also one of the first women ever to serve on Navy ships. During her career, Dr. Hunter transformed medical care and increased access for military personnel. She launched a nationally acclaimed center for wounded warrior care while serving as commanding officer at Naval Medical Center in San Diego, CA. Hunter also contributed to the design of federal insurance offerings for military retirees while Chief Medical Officer at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and now serves on the Board of Directors at WPS Health Solutions, where she brings 35 years of experience in federal health programs. Though this list seems impressive, it does not even begin to cover Dr. Hunter’s accomplishments. Her work has been recognized by numerous awards, including a Presidential Rank Award, Defense Superior Service Medal, and numerous other military honors.
Arriving at Boston University a mere seventeen years old, Shoshana Chatfield (Pardee’88) would later go on to become one of the Navy’s most distinguished pilots. Chatfield received her commission from the Naval Officer Training Corps in 1988, and it was then that her career as a helicopter pilot and commanding officer took off. Though a lot of her time was spent flying the Boeing Sea Knight, the Sikorsky Sea King, and Sikorsky Seahawk, when Chatfield wasn’t in the sky, the Rear Admiral taught political science at the U.S. Air Force Academy. In addition to her International Relations degree from BU, Chatfield holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a doctorate from UC San Diego. Having honed her leadership skills commanding several military units from Guam to Afghanistan, she is the first woman to ever serve as president of the U.S. Naval War College. Chatfield has rightfully earned a plethora of awards—the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the 2021 BU Distinguished Alumni Award, just to name a few.
Through the Division of Military Education, Boston University is proud to host four branches of the armed forces of the United States. Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), and Air Force maintain reserve officer training programs at the University. The University is committed to providing high quality academic preparation to future military officers and to supporting the uniformed personnel who are assigned to ROTC units to provide guidance and instruction to cadets and midshipmen in the military components of the ROTC programs offered by the three services.