Boys’ Basketball Tournament Honors Veterans
The boys’ varsity basketball team is demonstrating a spirit of service along with strong athletic skills as Principia hosts the inaugural Honor Flight Tournament among eight area schools. This competition supports Greater St. Louis Honor Flight, a nonprofit that periodically flies veterans to Washington, DC, for an all-day trip during which they are celebrated at events and gatherings in the nation’s capital.
Principia kicked things off on Tuesday, with a 78–18 win against The Fulton School. Bracket play will continue today, with the final game slated for 6:30 p.m. Friday (right before the Upper School Christmas Concert).
Head coach Kyle Johnson (C’09) organized nominations of veterans to be honored during halftimes. Principia alumni being honored include the following:
- Vince Boemer (C’49), who served in the Philippines with the U.S. Army during World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart
- Edgar Krattli (C’50), who enlisted in the Navy during World War II and worked on intercepting and decoding Japanese messages from postings in Hawaii and Washington, DC
- Ben Shipman (C’54), who served in the U.S. Marine Corps, including as a radio operator at various bases in the U.S.
- Paul Dixon (US’83), who was awarded a Bronze Star in 2003 and, after 30 years of service in the Army, recently retired with the rank of Colonel
- Blair Anderson (US’87), whose Army Special Forces Airborne Rangers unit was involved in the capture of Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega in 1990
Both Boemer and Krattli are active volunteers with Greater St. Louis Honor Flight and, along with other representatives, are attending the games and answering questions about their outreach. (In fact, attending Panther games is a favorite pastime for Boemer, whose grandson is the team’s coach.)
The boys’ varsity team will donate all tournament proceeds from entrance fees and T-shirt sales to Greater St. Louis Honor Flight. In addition, the Boys’ Dorm—which operates the concession stand—is donating a portion of those earnings to the Honor Flight organization. And the Cheer Squad will also contribute funds from a cheer clinic being held on Saturday.