1st Lt. Andrew Bacevich (CGS’01, COM’03) Dies in Iraq
BU grad and son of BU professor victim of roadside blast
First Lieutenant Andrew J. Bacevich (CGS’01, COM’03), the 27-year-old son of Andrew J. Bacevich, a College of Arts and Sciences professor of international relations and history, was killed on May 13 by a bomb blast in Balad, Iraq. Bacevich joined the Army in July 2004, a year after graduating from BU, and had been stationed in Iraq since October with the Third Brigade Combat Team, First Cavalry Division.
“Andrew was a wonderful kid,” recalls Stephen Quigley, an associate professor of public relations at the College of Communication. “He was unusually mature, extremely confident, and had a great sense of responsibility. He was an outstanding guy, someone you would admire for his focus and strong sense of the importance of service.”
Professor Bacevich, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says he cannot begin to convey the grief felt by him and his family. “Andy loved BU,” says Bacevich. “We hope in the months ahead to establish a fitting memorial within the University that meant so much to him. My family and I are very grateful for the expressions of condolence and solidarity flooding in from BU colleagues and students. They mean more than I can say.”
Boston University President Robert A. Brown described Bacevich’s death as the tragic loss of a fine young man. “The thoughts and prayers of the entire Boston University community go to Professor Bacevich and his family,” he says.
Professor Bacevich, a West Point graduate and former faculty member of the military academy, is known for his criticism of the Bush administration’s military efforts in Iraq, and has made his case in opinion pieces in major newspapers and periodicals. He is the author of several books, most recently The New Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War. Bacevich has described himself as an old-fashioned conservative opposed to the American military intervention in Iraq. His daughter, Katy, told the Boston Globe that despite his own opinions, the elder Bacevich would never discourage his son from doing what he wanted to do.
A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, May 21 at 10 AM at St. Timothy Church in Norwood, with burial to follow at the Rural Cemetery in Walpole. Visiting hours will be held 3-8 PM on Sunday, May 20 at the Delaney Funeral Home, 48 Common St., WALPOLE.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Lieutenant Andrew John Bacevich Memorial Fund at Boston University, the address is Office of Development, Boston University, 1 Sherborn St., Boston, MA 02215.
Art Jahnke can be reached at jahnke@bu.edu.