Scholarship For Those Remembering and Honoring Veterans
Iron Range student now at UWS wrote about his grandfather.
The sacrifices people make often have an impact for generations.
An example is a scholarship awarded Monday to a student from the Iron Range.
Patrick Douglas wrote an essay about his grandfather who served during the Vietnam War on the USS Duluth.
Patrick received the $1500 Mike Colalillo Medal of Honor scholarship at the Veterans Memorial Hall at the Depot.
“It’s going to be really helpful to pay for my college,” said Patrick.
“And it’s been a fun experience to learn more about the USS Duluth, and my grandpa and everything he did for the service,” said Patrick.
The Aurora native is now a sophomore at UWS. The Executive Director of the St. Louis County Historical Society says Patrick really captured something in his essay.
“Patrick’s essay was wonderfully done,” said Nick Jensen. “It painted a very human picture of what it would have been like to be on the USS Duluth,” said Jensen.
Patrick said he learned, among other things, that his grandfather David Michael Skelton, helped donate basketball hoops while overseas. Patrick used the Hall’s Albert J. Amatuzio Research Library in writing his essay. It is exactly the kind of resource envisioned by supporters.
“One of the missions of the Veterans Memorial Hall is to collect the stories of veterans throughout northeastern Minnesota,” said Andrew Meyer, Acting Chair of the Veterans Memorial Hall Advisory Board.
“And through that we can kind of weave together the history of our country and of our military through one story at a time whether it be adventure, sacrifice, serving our country as veterans,” Meyer said.
Jay Hagen, Program Manager at Veterans Memorial Hall, said the scholarship started in 2011, after one man plunked down $500 of his own money to get it started.
“And it’s blossomed since then. And it’s blossomed to the point now that we get to put out a $1500 scholarship every year.,” said Hagen.
“And it’s given to the person who writes the best paper, essay, about a veteran or a veterans group from northeastern Minnesota,” Hagen said.
Monday’s scholarship was presented by Colalillo’s daughter, Michele. Her father was Minnesota’s last known surviving recipient of the World War II medal of honor.
