MAJ MATTHEW M. WIEGAND ’08, USMC
ADM WILLIAM DEE SMITH ’55, USN (RET.)
CAPT WILLIAM P. “PAT” DONNELLY ’65, USN (RET.)
NEW SCHOLARSHIPS HONOR MEMORIES OF THREE ALUMNI Thanks to the generosity of U.S. Naval Academy alumni along with their families and friends, Athletic & Scholarship Programs regularly expands its assistance opportunities with new scholarships. Often, these scholarships honor the memories of late alumni, as is the case with this year’s new scholarships. Below, we share a look at the individuals these scholarships are inspired by. Beginning this year, we have three new scholarships that honor Academy graduates and support future midshipmen. The new scholarships honor: MAJOR MATTHEW M. WIEGAND ’08, USMC Matt was born into a Navy family that moved many times. While his father was Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station JRB Willow Grove, the annual airshows were a highlight for Matt and his buddies, thus sparking an incredible passion for aviation. As part of the flying club at the naval air station, Matt started flying the T-34 with his dad at age 11. A graduate of Hatboro Horsham High School in Horsham, PA, Matt earned varsity letters in lacrosse, golf and ice hockey. Matt attended Wyoming Seminary, an Athletic & Scholarship Programs participating prep school in Kingston, PA, prior to attending the U.S. Naval Academy. While at the Naval Academy, Matt was a Philly sports fan, a talented lacrosse player and golfer and loved playing guitar. After graduating from the Academy in 2008, Matt became a U.S. Marine Corps pilot. He would log nearly 2,000 hours in the air, participating in operations in Japan, the Philippines and South Korea and receiving multiple commendation medals. As a MAWTS-1 instructor, Matt
truly enjoyed flying with and working beside many of his closest friends. It has been said that he filled the office with his vibrant personality, pranks and enough homemade food to feed the entire building. Sadly, Matt was killed in a night training accident in Yuma, AZ, in March 2019. His personal awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star in lieu of second award and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star in lieu of second award. “We knew we wanted to establish a meaningful tribute to our son Matt at USNA,” said his parents, Margaret and Skip. “And we wanted to contribute in a way that would be flexible, hopefully grow over time and be a direct service to a recipient. Sponsoring a bench on Stribling Walk or the like was not what we had in mind. A Foundation scholarship was foremost in our thoughts as Matt was a Foundation scholar. In addition, Matt was a club lacrosse player while at USNA and we support the team through donations to the Foundation. Matt’s teammate and great friend Colin Smith ’09 is now the club team’s coach and the team dedicated their 2019 national championship season to Matt.” The first Major Matthew M. Wiegand, USMC, USNA ’08 Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Tanner Russell from Kalispell, MT, who attended Northwestern Prep. In addition to his parents, Matt is survived by his beloved wife and best friend Katrina, their sweet dog Charlotte (call sign “Charlie”), lifelong friends Jeff and JD and a band of brothers and sisters from the U.S. Naval Academy, the Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army.
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