At a recent award ceremony at Sacred Heart School, Dawson Vilamaa and Anna Sullivan were awarded the Michael Grant O’Connell Memorial Award. This award was presented in memory of 2nd Lt. Michael Grant O’Connell, who was killed in action during active duty in 1969 in Vietnam. Every year for more than 30 years, two outstanding students from Sacred Heart School have been honored in Lt. O’Connell’s memory. The award is presented to students who have Christian-like attitudes, high academic scores, and participate in sports and school activities. Pictured (L to R) are, front row: Lazarus O’Connell, Michael’s nephew; Dawson Vilamaa, award recipient; Anna Sullivan, award recipient; Lila O’Connell, Michael’s mother; back row: Pat O’Connell, Michael’s brother; Tammy Lukens, Michael’s sister; and Nathan O’Connell, Michael’s nephew.
