BC friends reunite in Iraq

U.S. Army Captain Richard Corner knew he wanted to be a soldier. He began playing with G.I. Joes as a small child, said his father, Richard Sr., and the idea only strengthened as Corner grew. Soon after receiving his acceptance letter to Boston College as a senior at BC High School, Corner also received a letter telling him about the ROTC program at BC. He signed up freshman year.

"I always wanted to join the army," said Corner. After participating in the ROTC program all four years at BC, Corner was honored as one of the top cadets of the class of 1997. "[ROTC] was great. It was a lot of time, but it defiantly prepared me for the army."

That start in the BC ROTC program propelled Corner to the role of a captain during the recent war in Iraq.

Corner said his grandfather had a lot to do with his decision to join the army. His grandfather served in the 75th infantry division during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, earning a silver and a bronze star. He died when Corner was five years old. "Joining the army was a way for me to understand his life a little better," he said. "Serving made me appreciate what he did for the country a little more."

Although Corner's decision to sign up for ROTC his freshman year of college was obvious to him, some were taken aback by the choice. BC Spokesman Jack Dunn met Corner when he was a freshman at BC High, when Dunn worked as an administrator there. "I just liked him from the start. He was one of those kids you just take a shining to, he's the all-American boy from the all-American family," said Dunn. "I remember thinking that Rich Corner would become a priest. When he told me he was going to sign up for ROTC, I was a little surprised, but it also seemed to fit."

After joining the army after graduation, Corner has been called to two foreign tours, one in Kosovo and another in Iraq.

He served in the 1st Infantry Division in Kosovo as part of a peace-keeping mission from November 1999 to June 2000. He went to Iraq in February 2003 and served with the 75th Exploitation Task Force until June.

"Kosovo and Iraq were completely different," said Corner. "We got shot at in Kosovo, but it wasn't a war. In Iraq it was all about a war. The mentality was completely different. In Kosovo we were trying to help bring peace to a region; in Iraq we were trying to first kill an army and then bring peace to a region. Both experiences change you as a person."

Serving in the military increased Corner's patriotism. "The U.S. is a great country. Yes, it has problems like any other country, but it does stand for great things," he said. "I love my country more because I have sacrificed for it."

At home in Canton, MA, Corner's family was anxious during the months their son was overseas.

"I tried not to watch the news that much," said his father. "As a parent, every time you hear about a helicopter crash you feel a combination of relief, guilt, and sadness: relief that your own son is okay, but knowing that someone else's son or daughter is not."

"It was a stressful time for the Corner family," said Dunn, who has remained close to the Corners since meeting Richard Corner at BC High. "It's a horrible thing for a family to endure. They relied on their faith during this worrisome period."

Dunn also connected Corner's faith to his role in the military. "He's a kid who understands the Ignatian call to find God in all things and be a man for others. He brings these Ignatian sensibilities to a military world where you would think it might not be readily present," he said. "I think that distinguishes him. The military is fortunate to have him in their service."

While serving in Iraq, Corner met his former BC roommate and fellow ROTC cadet Captain Dan Brace. While on base in Doha, Kuwait before the war started, the two roommates ran into each other in a bathroom, and then again months later at a checkpoint on the Kuwait-Iraqi border.

"When we were at BC we drank a lot of beer together, we went to football games together, parties, bars, we ran from the cops together. We have a lot of good memories together," said Corner. "I've known him for 10 years, and it was good to see a friendly face."

Corner returned from Iraq on June 18.

"We were overjoyed to see him back on U.S. soil," said Corner's father. After coming home, he spent time in California at a desert warfare training camp and is now back at Fort Phil in Oklahoma.

Since returning from Iraq, Corner has put in his paperwork to leave the army. "I love the army, and would do it all over again," he said. "I am glad I served and I am real proud that I served. But I know my time is over."

As Corner's duty comes to an end he is beginning to look toward life as a civilian. "Honestly I need a job," said Corner. With a degree in finance from CSOM and a master's degree in management from Webster University in Saint Louis, Corner hopes to move back to the Boston area. "I'm trying to get back to BC somehow," he said.

"His blood is maroon and gold," his dad noted.

Even as his military career comes to an end, Corner continues to think about the soldiers remaining in Iraq. "It's hard to watch the news," he said. "I have a lot of friends that are still there. It's frustrating to see American soldiers die trying to bring freedom to a country that so desperately needs it. I know why we are there, but it is still sad. War is ugly; it's not about glory, or excitement or glamour like the movies. I salute the troops remaining in Iraq."