Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, served two tours of duty in the Army’s Special Forces in Vietnam, and seven years as a chaplain in the Marines. He has many memories from those years, which he often shared with his social studies students at Saint Viator High School. Yet, one memory stood out.
Fr. Daniel Hall is featured on the front of a book of reflections by chaplains during Operation Desert Storm.
It happened in December, 1996, during his last deployment overseas, to Trieste, Italy. He served as chaplain to U.S. troops who were stationed there as part of a forward presence response in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
It would be Fr. Hall’s last years in the military before heading to Belize to begin a Viatorian mission there, and ultimately returning to Saint Viator High School as a teacher, coach and administrator.
But this memory remains from his three years in Trieste: The time he met Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, former president of the University of Notre Dame and civil rights leader, who was visiting the troops.
“He was the guest of the President (Bill Clinton),” Fr. Hall remembers. “Since I was the only priest in the area, they said, ‘Here, he’s yours for the week.’ ”
Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV
The impromptu assignment led to a memorable week for Fr. Hall, one in which he escorted Fr. Hesburgh around the landing amphibious ship, docked in the port of Trieste.
“Man, could that man tell stories,” Fr. Hall says with a smile.
Fr. Hesburgh passed away Feb. 26, 2015 at the age of 97, when tributes poured in from across the world.
A photo of Fr. Hall with Fr. Hesburgh is featured in the military touch screen display at Saint Viator High School, that was installed in 2018. The interactive exhibit showcases than 100 alumni, faculty and staff, through photos and summaries of their military service.
The majority served in the Vietnam conflict, but more recent veterans are featured who served in Operation Enduring Freedom, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan. Notably, Fr. Hall is the only chaplain featured, though Viatorians have served as military chaplains for more than 100 years, dating as far back as World I.