Army Lacrosse Alumni News

Here we will report and record information on graduated lacrosse players that comes our way. Please send news, photos, or stories about our Army Lax Alumni -- and lax alumni parents -- to the alumni news editor at mailto:laxdad@aol.com.

Information is organized by class ... scroll down to see what's been happening.

Class of 2007:

• 2007 BRANCH ASSIGNMENTS
  When the five Army Lax firsties received their branch assignments, they continued a two-year pattern of collecting in Field Artillery. In 2006, eight of the twelve Army Lax grads went FA, two to Engineers, and two to Aviation (in 2005, lax grads were more spread out: 6 Infantry, 3 FA, 2 ADA, and one each in Armor, Aviation, Engineers, and Military Intelligence). Here's the Class of 2007 lineup:

  Aviation
  Eddie Clark
  
  Engineers
  Nick LoRusso
  
  Field Artillery
  Ryan Chase
  Brian Ivany
  Hunter Wakeland

• '07 ARMY LAX FIRSTIES GET THEIR RINGS
  On Friday, August 25, 2006 Army's five firstie lacrosse players received their class rings. Click on this thumbnail to see a full-size picture of the firsties showing off their rings, then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

   
  (Rick Wakeland photo)
  Front (l to r): Nick LoRusso, Hunter Wakeland.
  Back: Brian Ivany, Eddie Clark, Ryan Chase.
  
  Oh my Gosh, Sir … what a beautiful ring!
  What a crass mass of brass and glass.
  What a bold mold of rolled gold.
  What a cool jewel you got from your school.
  See how it sparkles and shines?
  It must have cost a fortune.
  May I touch it, please Sir?

  CONGRATULATIONS FIRSTIES!

Class of 2006:

• ARMY LACROSSE CLASS OF 2006 GRADUATES
  On Saturday, May 27, 2006 Army's lacrosse Class of 2006 graduated. Click on these thumbnails to see full-size Vic Obringer photos of the new "old grads" in the Michie Stadium North Crease, shortly after the hat toss, and of the new minted 2LTs right after their butter bar pinning at the Firstie Club. Then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

  
  Front (l to r): Tory Sokul, Mike Obringer, Tony Vozzolo.
  Back: John Walker, Matt Luyster, Drew Narcum,
  Andrew Yakulis, Nate Foust, Tom Ronan, Jon Burton.
  Missing: Matt Bowerman, Erik Nerdalen

  
  Front (l to r): Foust, Tom Endres, Ronan.
  Middle: Bowerman, Walker, Vozzolo, Nerdalen,
  Burton, Luyster, Obringer.
  Back: Yakulis, Sokul.
  Missing: Narcum

  Drew Narcum is missing from the second photo because he rushed directly from the North Crease to Keller Army Community Hospital with severe abdominal pain. There he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and at once went into surgery. He recovered quickly enough to get married three weeks later to Jill McNulty, a 2004 West Point Grad.

• 2006 BRANCH ASSIGNMENTS
  The twelve Army Lax firsties received their branch assignments on Sunday evening, November 13, 2005. Fort Sill will have the nucleus for an excellent club lax team as seven branched Field Artillery. Here's the lineup:

  Field Artillery
  Matt Bowerman
  John Burton
  Matt Luyster
  Drew Narcum
  Eric Nerdalen
  Tom Ronan
  Tony Vozzolo
  John Walker
  
  Engineers
  Nate Faust
  Mike Obringer
  
  Aviation
  Tory Sokul
  Andrew Yakulis

• 2006 LAX FIRSTIES GET THEIR RINGS
  On Saturday, August 27, 2005 twelve firstie lacrosse players received their class rings. Click on this thumbnail to see a full-size picture of the firsties showing off their rings, then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

(Bowerman photo)

Class of 2005:

• A SMALL '05 GATHERING AT FT. HOOD
  On 02 December 2007 a small group of ’05 Army Lax Grads and attached family gathered at Ft. Hood to welcome Ben Harrow and Chris Couch home from almost fifteen months in Iraq. Ben and Chris are both infantry platoon leaders with the 3-8 CAV. Brandt Germann, E.J. and Sarah Behrendt, Chris and Jessica Larsen, Chris Couch's deployed twin Jake’s fiancé Lisa Pokorny, and Kiki and Jack Couch were there. In several cases it was the first time they had seen each other since graduation. They hung out all day Sunday at the house Chris Couch shares with his West Point roommate Alex Hooper (an engineer, also just returned with the 3-8 CAV), grilling steaks, enjoying adult beverages, watching football, and telling stories. Click on this thumbnail to see a full-size picture of the group gathered on the back porch, then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

L-R: Jessica and Chris Larsen
E.J. and Sarah Behrendt, Ben Harrow,
Brandt Germann, Chris Couch, and
Chris's future sister-in-law Lisa Pokorny
(Kiki Couch photo)

• CHRIS LARSEN PROGRESS REPORT
  Many members of the Army Lax family and other friends of Army Lacrosse will have heard that 1LT Christopher Larsen '05 was wounded in Iraq on Friday, August 17. Both his hands were injured seriously. He is at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio (scroll down for his address).

Mark Larsen, Chris's father, reported in his 18 OCT 07 Larsen Progress Report that Chris is making strong progress, and your editor was pleased to see Chris and his wife Jessica on December 2nd at Ft. Hood (see item and photo above). Chris continues to do very well and his prognosis is good, but he has another six to eight months of rehabilitation ahead of him, mostly at BAMC. Chris’s left hand has recovered essentially full function, though it is still weak and sore. His right hand and wrist are still healing from multiple surgeries and skin grafts. He has some great conversation piece scars. Although his range of motion is still very restricted, once the healing is completed he will be able to begin regaining full use of the hand. It will be a long and painful process, but anyone who knows Chris knows he will succeed fully. In the meantime, he promises to work on further perfecting his always terrifying left-handed shot.

At the time Chris was wounded, Mark Larsen wrote that Chris's "attitude is strong but the road to recovery will not be short." So it has proved. Those interested in more details can read Mark's descriptive and informative initial email at Mark Larsen Email. Be forewarned that some of the material is graphic.

A 31 August email from Chris himself, transmitted by his wife Jessica, is characteristically upbeat and reports that he is out of the hospital ward and that he and Jessica are now ensconced in Fischer House. His snail mail address there is:

1LT Christopher Larsen
c/o Zachary & Elizabeth M. Fisher House
George C. Beach Rd. Bldg. 3623
Brooke Army Medical Center
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-5000

Emails can now go to Chris's AKO at christopher.mateer.larsen@us.army.mil.

As regards Fischer House, Mark Larsen encourages everyone to consider making a donation. He writes that Fischer House, "... allows parents/spouses to stay next to the hospital ... without any financial worries ..." and "does so much to help these young hurt people get better quicker by allowing their families to be with them." Click on Fischer House to visit the foundation's website. 

Several Army Lax Alumni have already visited Chris. Joe Peisinger, Class of '54, visited August 23, just two days after Chris arrived at Brooke. See his report here. Jake Couch '05 visited Labor Day weekend ... click here to see his brief report. Those of us who can't actually visit can keep Chris and Jessica and Chris's parents Mark and Cynthia in our thoughts and prayers.

• ARMY LACROSSE CLASS OF 2005 GRADUATES
  On Saturday, May 28, Army's lacrosse Class of 2005 graduated. Click on this thumbnail to see a full-size photo of the new "old grads" and Coach Emmer taken in the Michie Stadium North Crease, shortly after the hat toss. Then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

(Jack Couch photo)
Front: Coach Jack Emmer
Kneeling: Jim Wagner, Matt Ellement, Jake Couch, Ben Harrow
Standing: E.J. Behrendt, Nick Doerr, Chris Larson, Eric Mineo, Matt Darak, Jeff Auer, Brian Green, Chris Couch, Vic DeMouth
Missing: Brandt Germann, Geoff Costa

• 2005 Post and Branch Assignments
  (Grad/Branch/Post)
  Jeff Auer/Infantry/Ft. Riley        
  E. J. Behrendt/Air Defense Artillery/Germany
  Geoff Costa/Field Artillery/Ft. Sill
  Chris Couch/Infantry/Ft. Hood
  Jake Couch/Armor/Camp Casey, Korea
  Matt Darak/Military Intelligence/GA – USMAPS
  Vic DeMouth/Field Artillery/Ft. Drum
  Nick Doerr/Field Artillery/Germany
  Matt Ellement/Infantry/Ft. Hood
  Brandt Germann/Engineers/Ft. Hood
  Brian Green/Aviation/Ft. Rucker
  Ben Harrow/Infantry/Ft. Hood
  Chris Larsen/Infantry/Ft. Hood
  Eric Mineo/Infantry/Ft. Riley
  Jim Wagner/Air Defense Artillery/GA – West Point

• ARMY LAX 2005 FIRSTIES GET THEIR RINGS
  Early Friday evening, August 24 2004, fifteen firstie lacrosse players of the Class of 2005 received their class rings. Click on this thumbnail to see a full-size picture of the firsties showing off their rings, then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

(Jack Couch photo)
Back Row: Chris Doerr, Matt Darak, Vic DeMouth, Chris Larsen
Middle row: Ben Harrow, Matt Ellement, Jeff Auer, Chris Couch
Front Row: E.J. Behrendt, Jim Wagner, Eric Mineo, Geoff Costa,
Brandt Germann, Jake Couch, Brian Green

Previous Classes:

• 2005 ARMY-NAVY ALUMNI GAME
  For a nice shot of the Army team that played in the April 15, 2005 Army-Navy Alumni Lacrosse Game, go to 2005 Army-Navy Alumni Game Photos. Click on Annapolis Capital Column for an uplifting piece about the game that focuses on John Fernandez '01.

• Ryan Hanrahan, '01
  Click Here for a link to the website CAPT Hanrahan and his platoon sergeant established to maintain contact with their families at home. After savoring the lax shots, explore the site. It will make you proud. 
  
  CAPT Hanrahan was co-captain of the 2001 Army team with John Fernandez '01. Scroll down to John's name in bold-face type for the latest in his inspiring story.

Go to Chopper Boys' Lacrosse to see how CAPT Hanrahan is contributing to the growth of lacrosse in Iraq. Then look through the rest of the inspiring website he and his platoon sergeant have created for the families of their soldiers. 

• Lee Dingman, '00
  Click Here for a link to a photo taken in Iraq on September 26, 2003. Then 1LT Dingman (now CAPT Dingman) looks down into a river bed where soldiers suspected that a terrorist training camp was operating in southwest Iraq. Dingman was the executive officer of the Pathfinder Company, 101st Airborne Division, which conducted a raid on the camp. U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Daniel D. Meacham. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

• Jim Vlahakis, '02 and Mike Parks, '03
  From Bob and Sue Vlahakis, here is a picture of Mike Parks and Jimmy Vlahakis at Camp Victory in Baghdad around July 2004. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-size picture, then use your web browser's Back button to return to this page.

• Alex Fyfe, '00
  Click here for the affecting May 2, 2004 Sunday NY Times column by George Vecsey about Army Lacrosse alum Capt. Alex Fyfe. The column describes Fyfe's activities as his battalion's civil affairs officer in Iraq and also mentions Fyfe's high school and West Point lax teammates John Fernandez '01 and Colin Burke '02.

• John Mask, '98
  Click here for a neat story April 20, 2004 story in the DoD's Defend America publication about Capt. John Mask '98, currently deployed to Iraq. He was an Apache pilot, company commander, and FOGO for the German National Team for whom he expected to play in the European Championships.

• John Fernandez, '01 
  Few in the nationwide lacrosse community are unaware that John Fernandez, Army's 2001 lacrosse captain, was seriously wounded in Iraq. Anyone who witnessed -- in person or on national TV -- John's dramatic appearances at Army's 2003 NCAA Tournament game against Johns Hopkins and at the 2003 West Point graduation knows how important John's example is to the Army Lax family, to the Corps, and to the nation. John's story is updated in an April 20, 2005 Annapolis Capital Column about the Army-Navy Alumni Lacrosse Game and on page 21 of the April 25, 2005 Sports Illustrated.
  
  You'll also want to read this moving and unsettling March 19, 2004 AP Story about John Fernandez. Other stories about John have appeared in the Denver Post, the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and Newsday among others. Also, ESPN aired a feature about John during the halftime of the NCAA D-1 Championship game on Memorial Day. To see it, click on USMA In The News and scroll down to May 20, 2003 (they have the date wrong). In addition, click on WINS Fernandez Story for a description of efforts to help John and his family get through his rehabilitation and planning for the rest of his life.
  
  Click here to read an e-mail from John's family to Coach Emmer sent during the 2003 season.

• Nick Bilotta, '02 -- As you know, 2002 Army Lax captain Nick Bilotta also was wounded in Iraq. Nick took shrapnel in both legs and feet. Two Iraqis were leading him to some explosives when "something went off." The two Iraqis were killed. Nick's injuries were deemed "not serious" but he was evacuated back to the US.
  
  Joe Bilotta, Nick's father, has allowed us to publish a note he sent to Coach Emmer. His comments remind us why Army Lax Parents is a special organization and important in ways similar parents clubs at other colleges cannot approach. To see Joe's note, click on Joe Bilotta’s Thank-you.
  
  At the end of January 2004 we received the following from Joe with the latest on Nick. 
  "They sent Nick back about 6 weeks ago....spent month in Mosul....101st is rotating out and he is currently in Kuwait....He will be coming back by ship, they need officer in charge of 8 man detail for security....Colonel thought that he should volunteer.......so, we are expecting about 3-4 weeks at sea....better than Mosul."

• The Times Herald Record published a moving story about the team, John Fernandez '01, and Nick Bilotta '02 on May 9, 2003. Also, as a follow-up to the April 14 Sports Illustrated Article about Mike Kamon and Army lacrosse, Sports Illustrated ran a brief report on John and Nick on page 21 of the April 28, 2003 issue.

• Cindy Roberts received an email on March 22, 2004 from Mike Parks '03 who is in Iraq. "He said that he was there with Johnny Ryan '03 and a few other fellas from the lax alumni. He asked me [Cindy] to give all of you his best and good luck for the rest of the season.  He said that he wished he could write more. His e-mail address is: parks112@yahoo.com."

• ARMY LAX ALUM OLSON ADVANCES
  (May 2005) On 28 May 2005, President Bush nominated Army Lacrosse alumnus and former USMA Commandant (1999-2002) MG Eric T. Olson for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as deputy commander, United States Pacific Command. Olson, who annually risked life and limb in the Alumni Game while Com, is currently serving as the commanding general, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He addressed the Class of 2005 Graduation Banquet the night before his promotion was announced.

If you have any questions or comments about us, contact info@armylaxparents.com.