Every Jan. 20, you can find John Kelly near the plaque outside the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception honoring University of Dayton Army ROTC graduates who died while serving their country.

It's the place he goes on the anniversary of his father's death — Col. Paul Kelly '84, who was killed along with 11 other soldiers when their helicopter was shot down in 2007 during the war in Iraq. He is the only UD Army ROTC grad to lose his life in service during that war. 

“I was 5 when my dad died,” John Kelly remembers. “I do have a few vivid memories of him, including the last day he was home, he took the training wheels off my bike.”

Other childhood memories with his dad come from photos. He’s seen more than a few of himself as a baby dressed in UD gear. He also learned from a very young age the Kelly connection to UD runs deep. Besides his father, his grandfather and five aunts and uncles are alumni.  

“I picked UD because my dad went here,” Kelly said. “I wanted to go to the same college and go through the same ROTC program he did and keep it in the family. I want to follow in his footsteps.”

On Dec. 16, John Kelly walked across the graduation stage to pick up his sport management degree. A couple hours later, he was in the Flight Deck at University of Dayton Arena with his family preparing to be commissioned into the U.S. Army, just like his dad did nearly four decades ago.

“It’s been almost 17 years and I still get emotional,” John’s mother, Maria Kelly, a former Captain in the Air Force, said as she prepared an empty seat for her late husband before the commissioning ceremony. She carefully placed his dog tags over a framed photo that read “Dad” and next to it, a folded American flag. “My husband was in my dreams two days before graduation and the last time I dreamt about him was 10 years ago.”

While Col. Paul Kelly was not physically present, John Kelly was surrounded by those who knew and loved his father including his extended family and three men who served under his father, one of them now a general in the Virginia National Guard, who was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. 

John said he felt the deepest connection to his dad during his commissioning, after his mom and brother Paul, who also serves in the Army, pinned on his second lieutenant's bars. 

“When my older brother gave me my first salute, I knew my dad was smiling down at the fact that I just graduated from his university and became an officer.”

After the ceremony, there was one more special moment for Maria, Paul and John. They traveled back to campus to place a wreath at the UD Honor Roll in honor of Wreaths Across America day. It was one more way to include their dad in this special day.

Newly commissioned 2nd Lt. John Kelly and CWO2 Paul Kelly knelt in their Army dress uniforms, placed the wreath on its stand and at the same moment reached out to touch their father’s name. 

2nd Lt. Kelly is ready to step into a new role, from undergrad to officer, and very soon leading a group of soldiers on his own.

“I’ve always been told my dad was a humble man and took care of everyone else around him. I want to take care of the soldiers working under me," John said. "I want to be a great leader, like my dad.”