Springfield, Ohio – Proving that you can accomplish anything when you put your mind to it, a group of Wittenberg University alumni led by former U.S. Marine Corps Infantry Captain John White '65 saw a goal come to fruition this summer at White Haven Memorial Park in Pittsford, N.Y.

After raising $125,000 from local businesses and patriots, a memorial monument was unveiled and dedicated in the park to honor Gold Star Family members of the greater Rochester, N.Y.

White is part of the core leadership team that planned, organized and completed the project. The group included Wittenberg graduates Tom Hildebrandt '72, president of Hillside Children’s Foundation, and Andrea Vittum '71, president of White Haven Memorial Parks Inc. Wittenberg has 265 alumni households in the Rochester area. Rochester, N.Y., ranks 10th in the number of alumni living in that area.

A Gold Star family is a wife, husband, mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, parent through adoption, foster parents who stand or stood in loco parentis, children, stepchildren, children through adoption, brothers, sisters, half brothers, half sisters, aunts, uncles, grandchildren and grandparents of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who sacrificed their life for our country.

The mission of the national Gold Star Families Memorial Monument organization is to establish a monument in every state. Rochester’s memorial monument is the 10th in the country. The goal was initiated by Hershel “Woody” Williams (pictured), a Marine Corps veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for his actions on Iwo Jima. Williams felt that soldiers' families should not be forgotten. The first Gold Star memorial was erected in West Virginia in 2013.

White recalled that Williams had just finished giving a speech about three years ago to a convention of Gold Star Mothers when a man approached him with tears in his eyes and said, “You know, Gold Star Dads cry, too”.

“It was then that [Williams] committed himself to honor the entire family of one who gave the ultimate sacrifice and not just the traditional tribute to mothers,” said White, who graduated with a B.S. in business administration and accounting with a minor in management from Wittenberg.

“One of our first acts back in 2014 was to find a suitable site for the memorial here in Rochester,” he continued.  “At a Wittenberg alumni meet-and-greet at the home of Tom Hildebrandt, I approached him knowing that he was on the board of the White Haven Memorial Park, a beautiful, solemn and veteran-friendly cemetery in suburban Pittsford, N.Y. Tom was enthusiastic and encouraging from minute one, and introduced me to Andrea Lyke Vittum, the president and CEO of White Haven. It has been an outstanding partnership of dedication and commitment ever since.”

White is no stranger to serving his country. As an infantry captain in the United States Marine Corps from 1966 to 1973, he served in Vietnam, Guantanamo Bay, Quantico, Camp Pendleton and Camp Lejeune. He was severely wounded in Vietnam and spent 14 months in various naval hospitals. For his actions in combat, he received the Purple Heart and earned the Silver Star Medal.

White currently resides in Fairport, N.Y., with his wife, Sandy Goodelle White ’65. He was recently inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame representing the 55th Senate District created to honor and recognize outstanding veterans from the Empire State.

“I think the most significant contribution I have made to military families and veterans has been to be a leader in the construction of the memorial monument,” said White, who retired as a senior vice president from Priority Management Systems, Inc., a global management training company.

“I am overwhelmed with pride as we pay tribute to the families of the fallen, and have a lasting memorial that reminds us all of their sacrifice," White said. "Wasn’t that our charge upon graduation from Wittenberg? Having light and a commitment to serve, we should pass it on to others? Many monuments across the country honor the war or the warrior, but the ongoing loss to the family is often overlooked. Our memorial is absolutely beautiful and truly elegant. At age 92, Woody was here to cut the ribbon and unveil the monument to over 400 in attendance.”

Rochester’s memorial forms an open shape of a saluting service member to signify the loss and sacrifice of military families. Four granite panels with laser-engraved images depict Homeland, Family, Patriot and Sacrifice.