Capt. Christopher J. Sullivan Hometown

"A basketball net must have appeared unreachable to Andrew when he started playing at age four. His courage and determination on the court remind us of the man who sacrificed everything for each of us." —Andrew Sr. and Claire Farrar, parents; Jason and Nathan, brothers; Bethany, sister

U.S. Army Captain, killed in action, of Boston, formerly of Newton Centre. Beloved husband of Debra (Toran) Connolly. Son of the late Gerald F. & Marguerite (McHugh) Connolly. Services are pending. For information please contact: Eaton Funeral Home 781-444-0201 www.eatonfuneralhomes.com

BOSTON — A Suffolk County prosecutor and Army reservist whose death in Afghanistan was confirmed Tuesday was recalled as a leader who was committed to public service.

Capt. David S. Connolly, 37, was on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter that crashed in bad weather last Wednesday about 80 miles south of Kabul with 15 military personnel and three civilians aboard, the district attorney’s office said Tuesday.

“You only needed to spend a few minutes with David to realize that this soft-spoken, serious-minded young man is a leader,” District Attorney Daniel Conley said. “He inspired confidence in others.”

There were no survivors, but Connolly’s friends and colleagues had held out hope that he wasn’t on the helicopter.

The helicopter’s crew had been delivering mail, supplies and personnel and was returning to a U.S. base in Bagram. Officials said there were no reports of enemy fire. Bad visibility and strong winds may have caused pilot error or a technical problem.

Connolly, a resident of Boston’s North End, served in the Army Reserve’s 1173rd Transportation Battalion, based in Brockton.

The Boston College graduate served a tour of duty in Iraq before joining the district attorney’s office last year. He was one of about 10 prosecutors assigned to the Boston Municipal Court.

“David prosecuted a wide range of street crimes and helped many victims seek justice for the wrongs that had been done to them,” Conley said. “In those few months that he was with us, he impressed many with his work ethic and compassion for victims.”

Connolly was a prosecutor for less than a year when his unit was reactivated and sent to Afghanistan. His wife, Debra Connolly, is a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. They were married in 2003 and had no children.

Connolly’s mother and three of his six siblings also graduated from Boston College, Oslin said.

“Before he went to Afghanistan, they had a big tailgate party at BC football game,” he said.

Connolly, following in his brother Joseph’s footsteps, entered the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at the college, Oslin said. He graduated in 1994. Joseph Connolly graduated in 1985. Joseph administered his brother’s commissioning oath in 1994.

David Connolly served on active duty as an Army Ranger and graduated from Suffolk Law School in 2003.

Connolly is the first Boston College ROTC graduate to die in military action since 1970, when 1st Lt. Louis Favuzza died in Vietnam, Oslin said.

Connolly is at least the fourth Massachusetts resident killed in military action in Afghanistan.

The United States Army has confirmed that Captain David S. Connolly '94, one of six Boston College graduates in his family, was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on April 6.

Capt. Connolly is the first graduate of the University's ROTC program to lose his life in hostile action since the Vietnam War, according to University officials.

Capt. Connolly, 37, who last year was appointed as an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, had been a member of the Army Reserve until his Brockton-based 1173rd Transportation Company was called to active duty last fall.

He was serving as a transportation officer in Afghanistan when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter in which he was riding went down 80 miles southwest of Kabul, the Afghan capital, as it returned from delivering personnel, mail and supplies to the US Army forward base in Baghran. All 18 persons on board the aircraft were killed in the crash.

A Newton native, Capt. Connolly graduated from the Woods College of Advancing Studies and served on active duty with the Army's elite Ranger special operations units. After returning to civilian life, he graduated from Suffolk Law School in 2003 while continuing to serve as an Army Reservist.

Capt. Connolly had strong ties to Boston College. His mother, Marguerite Connolly, who died in 2003, earned her degree while employed in the Athletic and Geology and Geophysics departments. His sister Marguerite Connolly, holds bachelor's (1988), master's (1991) and doctoral (2001) degrees from the University and is currently a research associate for Boston College's Teachers for a New Era program.

The Connolly family's BC connections also include Capt. Connolly's brothers, Joseph '85, Paul '89 and Gregory '03, are also University alumni. Joseph, a graduate of the University's ROTC program, administered the commissioning oath to David as his younger brother was made an Army lieutenant in a 1994 commencement weekend ceremony.

"I can still picture David," said Associate Dean for Student Development D. Michael Ryan '67, a former Army captain who serves as the University's liaison to military officer training programs. "He was a solid leader, partly because he had prior military service before coming to BC. All of the other students respected him. He was a quiet person, but a good leader."

The last graduate of Boston College's ROTC program to die in combat was Army 1st Lt. Louis A Favuzza '68, who was killed in Vietnam on April 20, 1970, according to Ryan. Capt. Connolly won the Boston College ROTC program's Veterans of Foreign Wars' Award in 1993 and the Reserve Officers' Association Award in 1994. Each is presented for military proficiency and outstanding leadership, Ryan said.

"Dave was so proud to have been from Boston College," said his sister, Marguerite Connolly. "He was a season ticket holder in both football and basketball and hardly ever missed a game. He just loved to wear his BC shirts and jacket." Capt. Connolly enjoyed a tailgate party at an Alumni Stadium game just prior to his departure to military duty, said Steven Woodside '95, who was a fellow ROTC cadet. "He was a very likeable guy. We got together with Dave and his wife Debra and reminisced about our ROTC days at BC," Woodside said.

"His connection to BC was so strong," Marguerite Connolly said. "I think there had to be 30 friends and classmates from BC who have been with us all the time since we heard about the crash. It has been a tremendous help to our family." In addition to four brothers and two sisters, Capt. Connolly is survived by his wife, Debra Connolly of Boston.

A funeral Mass with full military honors will be said for Capt. Connolly Saturday, April 16 at 9 a.m. at St. Ignatius Church in Chestnut Hill. Capt. A wake will be held from 3-8 p.m. Friday, April 15 at Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Avenue in Needham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the ROTC Memorial Fund, in care of the Boston College Development Office, More Hall. •

		David S. Connolly '94, Capt., U.S. Army Reserve 1967–2005 Captain David S. Connolly '94 was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan on April 6, 2005, the first graduate of the University's ROTC program to lose his life in hostile action since the Vietnam War, according to University officials. Connolly, 37, an assistant district attorney in Suffolk County, had been a member of the Army Reserve's 1173rd Transportation Battalion, based in Brockton, Massachusetts, and was called to active duty last fall. He was serving as a transportation officer when the helicopter in which he was riding went down 80 miles southwest of Kabul, the Afghan capital. All 18 persons on board were killed. A graduate of the Woods College of Advancing Studies, Connolly served on active duty in the Army Rangers and graduated from Suffolk Law School in 2003. He was one of six members of his family holding degrees from the University, including his late mother Marguerite Connolly '03, his sister Marguerite '88, MA'91, Ph.D.'01, and his brothers Joseph '85, Paul '89, and Gregory '04. The Connolly family has established a memorial fund in Connolly's honor through the Boston College Development office. The last graduate of Boston College's ROTC program killed in Vietnam was First Lt. Louis A. Favuzza '68 of the U.S. Army, who died on April 29, 1970, according to Michael Ryan, associate dean of students. Reid Oslin (Reid Oslin is a staff writer for the Boston College Chronicle.) Suffolk DA's office mourns loss of a colleague in Afghan crash By Emma Stickgold, Globe Correspondent  |  April 13, 2005 Suffolk County and Boston Municipal Court workers, used to consoling victims' families when crime strikes the streets of Boston, were comforting one another yesterday after confirming that their colleague had died in a helicopter crash while on military duty in Afghanistan. Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and others said they learned soon after the crash last week that military officials officially deemed Assistant District Attorney David S. Connolly's whereabouts unknown. It was not until yesterday that his colleagues received official word that the 37-year-old North End lawyer, a captain in the Army Reserve, was indeed aboard the CH-47 Chinook helicopter that crashed in bad weather on April 6, about 80 miles southwest of Kabul. None of the 18 people on the aircraft survived. ''We were hoping for a miracle," Conley told reporters at a press conference yesterday at his office in Boston. ''Now, we're just grieving for our loss." Connolly had worked for the office just six months, but had already made a name for himself among colleagues, who yesterday recalled his commanding presence and the effort he put into cases he prosecuted. ''You only needed to spend a few minutes with David to realize that this soft-spoken, serious-minded young man was a leader, and he inspired confidence in others," Conley said. Reached by telephone yesterday, friends in the tight-knit group of Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps members who attended Boston College with Connolly recalled his qualities. At well over 6 feet, he had a booming voice and a lean, sturdy frame, they said. ''A contradiction, at times, was striking between the loud voice and his charisma and the intellectual who was quiet and introspective at times," said John Foley, a friend who met him in the ROTC program. Those who had served with him were stunned Friday when they heard about the crash. ''All of us have experienced someone being killed in combat or training," Foley said of their group of friends. ''This just seemed radically different than the others." Whether Connolly was playing golf, hunting, or fishing with the guys, he was a natural leader with ''a million-dollar smile and a good laugh," said Chris Buckley, who also attended transportation officers' school with Connolly. ''He set the example for the junior officer corps and the young leadership of the US Army," Buckley added. Connolly started working for Conley's office in June, after returning from a tour in Iraq. He took up mostly cases stemming from Operation Neighborhood Shield, a Boston police effort to clean up the city's most violent communities. In November, Connolly was called to duty in Afghanistan. Colleagues threw a big going-away party, which was very well-attended given his short tenure, county officials said. Connolly, who grew up in Newton, graduated from Boston College in 1994 before heading into active duty and serving with the Army Rangers. About two years ago, he married Debra, a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was hired for the district attorney's office shortly after his 2003 graduation from Suffolk Law School, from a pool of 600 candidates applying for 12 positions. ''Today is a sad day here," Conley said. ''As we go about our work to help others who have suffered loss, and to help some who have suffered the ultimate loss to violence, we do so with the heaviest hearts because we have suffered our own loss." © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company. Fallen prosecutor remembered as a hero By Christine McConville, Globe Staff  |  April 17, 2005 More than 850 mourners attended the funeral yesterday of Army Captain David Scott Connolly, who died in Afghanistan. Above, Army Airborne soldiers served as pallbearers. (Globe Staff Photo / John Tlumacki) David Scott Connolly was remembered yesterday as a man with a strong sense of values who took on challenges in a variety of endeavors in order to make a difference in people's lives. More than 850 mourners gathered at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Chestnut Hill to mourn Connolly, 37, an assistant district attorney for Suffolk County and a captain in the US Army Reserve who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan earlier this month. After the funeral, Connolly was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star and promoted to the rank of major before being buried in Newton Cemetery with full military honors, including a gun salute. Major Paul Caruso, public affairs officer for the 94th Regional Readiness Command, said of Connolly: ''He did not die in vain. He died serving his country. He died very honorably. For every soldier, every serviceman, even if you didn't know Dave Connolly, this is like losing a brother. We can all put ourselves in his shoes." The church pews were packed with Connolly's childhood friends from Newton and co-workers from the Suffolk district attorney's office. Mourners included military and school friends, along with law enforcement and military personnel. Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly and Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, who hired Connolly as a prosecutor in 2003, were in attendance, along with Major General Dennis J. Laich and other military personnel. Marguerite Connolly, one of Connolly's two sisters, said the way her brother was honored helped ease her family's pain. ''Boston College, Suffolk University Law School, the Army, the town of Needham, the city of Newton. Everyone came out to respect the ultimate service that my brother gave," she said. ''With the tragedy that our family has been through, he was honored in a way that gave us some comfort," she said. Gregory Connolly, one of Connolly's four brothers, recalled his older sibling as a man ''with a strong sense of values in a society consumed by the individual. David believed in others." He added: ''Many a summer night, we sat listening to the [Red] Sox, fishing for stripers in the harbor. Leisure was on the agenda, but the conversation often turned to a series of questions: 'Could you do more, could you do better, could you make a difference?' " Connolly grew up in Newton and attended Newton South High School. He enlisted in the Coast Guard, then enrolled at Boston College. While there, he joined the ROTC program and quickly distinguished himself. He won the Boston College ROTC program's Veterans of Foreign Wars Award in 1993 and the Reserve Officers' Association Award in 1994. After graduating in 1994, he joined the Army's elite Ranger special operations units. He attended Suffolk University Law School, from which he graduated in 2003. Also that year, he married his wife, Debra, and landed a job with the district attorney's office as a prosecutor. Last fall, Connolly's Brockton-based 1173d Transportation Battalion was sent to Afghanistan. On April 6, Connolly was traveling in a CH-47 Chinook helicopter about 80 miles southwest of Kabul, the Afghan capital. It was returning from delivering personnel, mail, and supplies to an Army base in Bagram when it crashed. All of the 18 persons on board were killed. The Army has said the crash was caused by bad weather. During the funeral Mass, the Rev. Joseph O'Keefe said Connolly's death was sad for those who loved him because he ''had a future filled with hope" that will never come to pass. But he urged Connolly's survivors -- especially his nieces and nephews who crowded into the front pews -- not to become lost in their grief. ''When you are overwhelmed with grief, remember he was a hero. We should be filled with gratitude for his life and his sacrifice," O'Keefe told them. The Rev. William P. Leahy, president of Boston College, encouraged the mourners to seek solace in their faith. He said that an Easter candle was burning bright, in front of Connolly's casket. Even during times of crisis, he said, ''it still burns." At the end of his eulogy, Greg Connolly encouraged the congregation to follow his brother's example. ''Through a single act of kindness, persevering in achieving a personal goal, or supporting a cause for which you have conviction, there could be no more powerful testament and legacy to my brother David than for each of us to leave here today and make a difference in the lives of others," he said. Christine McConville can be reached at cmcconville @globe.com. © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company. Sgt. Michael J. Kelley Hometown: Scituate, Massachusetts, U.S. Age: 26 years old Died: June 8, 2005 in Operation Enduring Freedom. Unit: Army National Guard, 101st Field Artillery Battalion, Army National Guard, Rehoboth, Mass. Incident: Killed when his helicopter-landing zone came under fire in Shkin. Michael Kelley, a 1997 graduate of Scituate High School in Massachusetts, joined the National Guard straight out of high school, hoping to take advantage of the military's educational assistance programs. He wanted to parlay the skills he learned in the Army into a career in the civil aviation industry. Michael volunteered to go to Afghanistan after his old National Guard Unit out of Quincy, MA was stationed in Iraq last year. Michael felt it was the right thing to do after he was reassigned to a unit in Rehoboth, MA and that unit was looking for volunteers to relieve military personnel in Afghanistan due to lack of military replacements. Michael was somewhat introverted and quiet, but had a keen wit, a sharp mind, a big heart, and a great sense of humor. He was an artist and loved to read. He loved to play video games and loved to watch movies. Michael had the fantastic ability to recite movie lines. One of his favorite movies was Tommy Boy and he would always recite the line by Chris Farley, to his brother, Shawn and Brother-in-law, Doug, "Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug!" In addition to his parents, Joseph and Karen Kelley, Michael leaves behind a brother, Shawn, two sisters, Karianne and Colleen, Brother-in-law Douglas, and nieces, Olivia and Rachael. Michael Jason Kelley Of Scituate, June 8, 2005, age 26. Loving son of Joseph P. and Karen (Tuv) Kelley. Devoted brother of Shawn P. of VT, Karianne J. Golemme and her husband Douglas of Rockland and Colleen J. Kelley of Scituate. Beloved grandson of Carmella Kelley of Rockland and Ethel Tuv of Randolph. Uncle of Olivia Golemme. Also survived by numerous friends and family. A Funeral Service will be held at Christ Lutheran Church (on Rt 3A), Scituate on Sat., June 18 at 10AM followed by Burial in Cudworth Cemetery, Scituate. Visiting hours Friday from 5-9PM. Parking at Christ Lutheran Church & Cudworth Cemetery will be by permit only: All others are asked to park at Scituate High School for busing to the Church & Cemetery, last shuttle bus will leave the H.S. at 9:40 a.m. At the family's request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sgt. Michael J. Kelley Memorial Fund, c/o Rockland Trust, 288 Union St., Rockland, MA 02370. For directions and guest book vist www.richardsongaffeyfuneralhome.com Published in The Boston Globe from June 15 to June 16, 2005 Wreath-laying in Scituate this Saturday Posted December 8, 2009 12:55 PM SCITUATE AMERICAN LEGION POST 144 Scituate Vets to Lay Holiday Wreaths at Cudworth Cemetery In a collaborative effort, Scituate American Legion Post #144, The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Town's Veterans Service Officer, and the family of the late Sergeant Michael J. Kelley, who made the supreme sacrifice while defending our country in Afghanistan on June 8, 2005, will again hold a ceremony to remember and honor the service and sacrifice of Scituate's deceased veterans. Wreaths will be placed on as many veterans' headstones as donations allow. Deployed to Tactical Training Base Kelley  Feature News Story    Tech. Sgt. Casey Walsh of the 104th Security Forces Squadron briefs his Airmen on an upcoming convoy mission at Tactical Training Base Kelly during a three day exercise that started on June 9, 2009. As convoy commander Walsh was responsible for correct mission execution. The base is located on the Massachusetts Military Reservation and allows Airmen and Soldiers to experience situations similar to actual deployments. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Aaron Smith)   By Master Sgt. Aaron Smith, 102nd Intelligence Wing Public Affairs  The scene could be from any overseas base. A Humvee drives up to a heavily guarded entry point. It weaves between concrete barriers and sandbags while being watched from a guard tower by an Airman standing behind a heavy machine gun. Inside the walls, tents are neatly laid out with a work section on one side and a living section on the other. A line of three Humvees sits in the wide gravel lot, while security Airmen talk and eat Meals Ready to Eat. An M-249 machine gun mounted atop their vehicles is ready for the next convoy. The only signs that this base is on the Massachusetts Military Reservation are the lush green trees visible over the outer walls. Airmen from the 102nd Security Forces Squadron based at Otis Air National Guard Base, along with Airmen from the 104th Security Forces Squadron, 104th Services Squadron, 267th Combat Communications Squadron, 202nd Weather Flight and elements of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment and the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 all came to Tactical Training Base Kelley on June 9, 2009 for three days and two nights of realistic joint force training. The base is named after Sgt. Michael J. Kelley, a Massachusetts Army National Guardsman killed in Afghanistan in 2005. It allows units to experience a deployed environment and expose their Airmen and Soldiers to situations that they may face on a real world mission. Inside the command post tent, Lt. Col. Christopher Hamilton, commander, 102nd Security Forces Squadron, talks with Tech. Sgt. Casey Walsh, a convoy troop commander. Hamilton goes over the mission briefing for Walsh’s next convoy. Minutes later, Walsh is outside in the gravel lot, huddled over a map on the hood of a humvee, relaying the plan for today’s mission to his Airmen. What was originally planned as an annual security forces training exercise has grown into a multi-unit and multi-service exercise. The 202nd Weather Flight is on hand to keep leaders up to date with the constantly changing weather conditions. The 267th Combat Communications Squadron has setup a complete communications package, supporting all the units on the base. Volunteers from the 102nd Intelligence Wing are taking part as role players. The roles include acting as villagers trying to sell fruit at the front gate and heavily armed terrorists with actual weapons. Army Aviation Support Facility #1 and Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment provided air support with UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. Tech. Sgt. Chris Fiore, an Airman assigned to the 267th CBCS, commented on how participating in the exercise benefitted his unit, “We’ve got a lot of new Airmen and this is great training.  Some of us who have deployed a number of times can pass on our knowledge in an environment that’s like what you see overseas. The stress level goes up, there’s a real sense of urgency, and it’s real easy to get into the role here.” Three Humvees roll down the dirt road, spaced 20 yards apart on a “route reconnaissance” convoy mission. The Airmen’s eyes are constantly scanning the brush alongside the road for anything unusual. The lead vehicle turns left, onto a heavily wooded road, suddenly there are two vehicles blocking the way ahead. All three Humvees quickly move into position beside each other. Suddenly there is the “crack, crack, crack” sound of gunshots from the woods to the right. The turret gunners shout, “contact right!” then swing their turrets around and open fire. Blank bullet casings tumble onto the roofs of the humvees and the Airmen flow out of the doors to take a defensive position. Each situation during this exercise tests the experience and ingenuity of the Airmen and there is no right answer for every situation. Master Sgt. Marc Vercellone, 102nd SFS, stated that squad leaders in particular would benefit from the training. “A squad leader has to be able to provide guidance and advice to people in his squad regardless of whether it’s technical or tactical. In a day-to-day environment we’re not always making quick decisions and trying to analyze what the immediate outcome and consequences our decisions will be. It isn’t as imperative but when you’re in a situation like this, you have to think quickly. It’s better to learn how to do it in a training environment than have to learn how to do it when the bullets are flying for real,” said Vercellone. Over the course of the exercise the situations vary widely. The missions include convoy and patrol operations dealing with the local populace including angry protestors throwing vegetables, quick reaction force and personnel recovery training. One phrase that is not often heard during this exercise is “simulated.”  Vercellone noted, “I wanted to provide the most realistic environment for the (Guardsmen) to (train) in. I’m a big fan of immersion training. It’s one thing to practice loading a helicopter while it’s sitting on the ramp, but when there’s rotor-wash and blades spinning, people moving around the landing zone, you have to get the bird in and out quick. You can’t really create that sense of urgency and the distraction that goes with it unless you’re actually doing it that way.” Vercellone and the other units involved commented that they hoped to grow this training and expand it in the future to take advantage of the great facilities that Camp Edwards has to offer. With the 102nd Security Forces Squadron deploying more than 40 Airmen in the coming year, it’s training that will not go unused. 7/24/2009