2019 Robert Foley Scholarship at West Point

Camm Johnson received this years' Robert Foley Scholarship of Honor at West Point. He is pictured with BG Buzzard who is presenting the Scholarship of Honor medal.

Camm took the semester off to assist his sister and family after their mother passed away from cancer. His father had also passed away from cancer earlier in Camm’s Cadet career. Camm truly represents the best that West Point has to offer. He “Lives Honorably, Leads Honorably and Demonstrates Excellence” in all that he has done here at West Point.

As a member of the USMA Class of 2019, he lives “Duty, Honor, Country” in all that he does and he there is no doubt that he will be a superb Engineer Officer.

LTC David , Camm Johnson, BG Buzzard

General Robert Foley, photo by Nick DelCalzo

United States Army Lieutenant General Robert Foley graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1963. He joined the infantry and went through Airborne and Ranger schools. By 1966, he was a twenty-five-year-old captain and company commander in the 27th Infantry in Vietnam. He earned the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War on November 5, 1966. President Lyndon Johnson awarded it to General Foley on May 1, 1968.

He remained in the Army until 2000, attaining the rank of lieutenant general. He ended his thirty-seven-year military career as the commander of the Fifth Army, then became president of Marion Military Institute in Alabama, the nation’s oldest military preparatory school and junior college. General Foley continued to serve U.S. Army soldiers and their families as director of Army Emergency Relief, a private nonprofit organization with headquarters in Washington, D.C. until his recent retirement.

Vision, Purpose and Passion

By Craig and Karen Dickman

"When we learned more about the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation we saw vision, purpose and passion and knew, immediately, that it had the potential to make an impact on both lives and the community.

And when you consider the deep impact that the Foundation has had - on the lives of individuals through scholarships, on the quality of community through connections, and in the deep sense of pride and patriotism - you realize it has had a tremendous effect on an immeasurable amount of people.

We are proud of our connection to the Brian LaViolette Foundation and of how its impact has grown over the years.  We have been specifically inspired by the Scholarships of Honor and the recognition of those who have served and sacrificed by the Foundation.  We also have seen the Foundation establish unique connections to Green Bay, such as the Czech Republic that have extended Brian's legacy to have global impact

We believe that Brian's Foundation not only does good work but does it in a manner that makes you proud to be involved."

An Hour Well Spent by Tom Burgess

"Eighteen years ago I wrote a letter to Doug LaViolette after having spent one hour with him while in the process of purchasing office furniture. The encounter was brief, but I remember it having a profound impact on the rest of my day. 

I wanted to reach out directly to Doug and share with him what our conversation had meant to me and how impressed I was with the dedication and devotion of The Brian LaViolette Foundation. In fact those were two of the exact words I used to describe his work, "dedication and devotion." I went on to tell him "I commend you and your family to have the strength to create such wonderful contributions out of what seems senseless misfortune." 

It was an honest letter written to convey a sense of appreciation. The Brian LaViolette Foundation is a great platform for our community. 

Those closest to Brian, would tell you he was a soul beyond his years. Always writing and collecting inspirational messages, Brian once wrote down the phrase, "The journey is the reward" and it has since become the hallmark of the foundation. 

The Burgess family; Tom, Maddie, Ben, Emily and Kate, with puppies Beatrice and Honey

In reflecting on both Brian's words and my own personal experiences in the years since that afternoon conversation with Doug, it is remarkable to know how those words have had the power to impact my life.

There is an immediate sense of how one might think about the value of life and the importance of family and how quickly those things can change. My wife Kate and I were not yet parents when Brian died and now we have three children of our own, one of whom is set to begin her first year of college this fall. 

Then, several years ago while traveling through Rome, we were able to stop at a church where one of Brian's best friends at the time of his death had gone on to enter into the priesthood. It reminded us that regardless of where you are in the world, how we can maintain the ability to identify people who are part of our tribe, so to speak, and have remained connected by Brian's life.

My family's relationship with the LaViolette family has only grown in the years since I wrote that letter and I am moved by their passion to continue the words of their son and brother. 

It is particularly remarkable to me how well the phrase, "the journey is the reward" has been translated into action many times by the foundation. 

Kate and I have attended many gatherings in support of the foundation and have often spoke with others regarding its continuous impact on the lives of the youth and families in our community. 

Enough time has passed, that our own organization, Elevate97, has been blessed to employ the services of a former scholarship recipient. 

The strength of The Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation can be found in the heart of its values; it is truly an organization that allows people to develop their own abilities to succeed. Its ability to remain sustainable can be directly attributed to all the ways in which it continuously fosters new pathways for the community it serves. 

There is a deep sense of commitment within its leaders as it sets out to both create opportunity and cultivate new resources and services... the goals of the foundation will continue for years to come. 

Brian's story is one I will carry with me always because truly..."the journey is the reward"