Alumni Dinner Honorees 2009

JJ Konstant ’99

We induct JJ Konstant ’99 into the Brother Rice High School Alumni Hall of Fame for the most obvious of reasons, because without alumni like him, our school, our country, and the world as we know it and enjoy it, would not exist today. While most Brother Rice graduates spend their early twenties enjoying the freedom of the age, JJ spent his voluntarily leading platoons under heavy attack, preserving freedom for the ages.

Having earned two Purple Hearts and one Bronze Star for his actions as a Marine serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, JJ’s actions in one battle were so extraordinary, they have been chronicled in a book called Victory Point, by Ed Darack, released last April. Featured in newspapers throughout Chicagoland, JJ’s story was so compelling that both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox invited him to throw out the first pitch, as a way of saying thanks for risking his life so that we may enjoy America’s pastime.

JJ received his first Purple Heart after being wounded from shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) on August 17, 2005 while in Afghanistan. Darack says more in his book than JJ is willing to discuss. His platoon was in the middle of a week long battle called “Operation Whalers,” and they were “tasked with avenging the loss of 19 Navy and Army Special Forces Operators” killed earlier that summer, while also improving security in Kunar Province in time for elections. “I received my Bronze star for my actions in two separate occasions during this battle, but that’s all I’ll say about that, because I don’t like to talk about individual stuff,” JJ said.

In a September 15, 2008 article in the SouthtownStar, writer Tina Akouris wrote:

“He was coming off one of the toughest firefights in U.S. military history in Afghanistan. …Konstant's unit had to move about four miles and climb 3,000 feet in elevation to get where the insurgents were gathered. It took the 45-man unit about 18 hours. On the way, Konstant's men were getting sick, but they charged on. Konstant turned 24 during the battles.”

“Although Konstant isn't 100 percent sure if the insurgents all were Al-Qaida, the enemy groups were made up of Al-Qaida, Chechnian rebels, the Taliban and Afghan mercenaries.”

“Once they found where the insurgents were hiding, Konstant's men crashed for the night. The rebels didn't attack until the morning, oddly enough when the group was refreshed from their journey.”

“Konstant described the firepower from the enemy as ‘overwhelming’

“None of Konstant's men were killed. Konstant was a platoon commander for the third platoon of Fox Company. He was wounded and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He received his second Purple Heart in Iraq a year later.”

'' ‘I had a lot of guys get wounded, but no one died,’ said Konstant, who was a second lieutenant at the time. ‘I made a lot of mistakes. I think about it often. There was also the pride I felt in my unit and what we were able to do to the enemy to set them back and allow the first parliamentary elections [in Afghanistan].’

“[Ed] Darack, an independent writer and photographer, was embedded with a different Marine unit and didn't meet Konstant until after the battle. The two became friends, and Darack learned of Operation Whalers. It took two years worth of interviews with Konstant and others in the unit to put together the story of Victory Point.”

“ ‘[Konstant] loved his time in the Marine Corps,’ Darack said. ‘He was in his early 20s and was leading platoons. He's tough, and even if he's in pain, he'll never show it. They really are the world's heroes.’''

JJ’s second Purple Heart came as a result of wounds suffered from roadside bombs on two separate occasions while in Iraq’s Al Albar Province. “I was thrown around my vehicle and concussed from the first one, and a week later, while dismounted I found an I.E.D, attempted to dismantle it, and failed,” JJ recalled. “I received shrapnel to my ass, thigh, and the back of my head,” he added.”

JJ cited the family of his friend, Patrick Lyons, who was killed in a train accident in 1996, as one of two strong influences who inspired him to go to Brother Rice from St. Bernadette. The other was basketball and Coach Richardson, “because if you wanted to be anyone or win anything in basketball, you went to Rice,” JJ said.

The respect between player and coach remains mutual. "As a Crusader basketball player, JJ was an outstanding leader who inspired and at times, challenged his teammates to always play their best,” Coach Richardson said. “It came as no surprise when his teammates overwhelmingly selected him as a co-captain his senior year. I think JJ will agree that he wasn't one of the biggest or most athletic players in the Catholic League. But that didn't keep him from becoming an All Catholic League Player. He worked incredibly hard to become a great shooter because he knew that was the way he could best help our team win. He always made us proud as a student and an athlete. We were even prouder when he chose to serve our country as an Officer in the United States Marines. Once again, it surprised no one when he led his men to victory in dangerous combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. While JJ was overseas, he didn't realize it, but he was still inspiring Crusader basketball players as we told our teams stories of his courage and bravery,” Coach Richardson added.

“Brother Rice reinforced what I learned from my parents and the nuns at St. Bernadette,” JJ said. “Rice really drove home the importance of faith and values and integrity. On the basketball court, I learned how clearly preparation, teamwork, and commitment went hand-in-hand with success. Rice helped land me on the path I needed in order to achieve what I would later achieve,” added JJ.

“Military service is the greatest thing a young man can participate in,” said JJ. “To struggle and become disciplined and to do something for your country are all great things. People don’t know what they don’t know, but…George Orwell had it right when he said, ‘People sleep peaceably at night because rough men stand ready to act violently on their behalf.’ Nowhere is this more evident than in the United States and never before has it been this clear. I would encourage people to become more aware of veterans and to acknowledge their service. Give me a choice to have a beer with somebody famous or a guy who just got home from Iraq or was in Vietnam, and I’ll take the vet all day. Military service represents all that is good about this country,” added JJ.

“I always wanted to be in the service,” said JJ. “My grandfather fought under General Patton throughout Europe during WWII. My father and uncle served in the Army during Vietnam. Once we waged war on terrorism, it was an obvious decision for me. I was the perfect age and type. I wanted to be a Marine and I wanted to lead. Fortunately for me, I learned about the Marine Officer Candidate Program and was able to do both,” added JJ.

Fortunately for the rest of us, fellow graduates like JJ and Army Spc. Jared Stanker ’06, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan at the time of this writing, believed in what they were doing for the rest of us, knowing full well they could pay the ultimate sacrifice. The very least we can do is induct JJ into the Brother Rice High School Alumni Hall of Fame.