Sergeant Major Christopher L. Callan, D8891 (Life), died on 18Jul20 from injuries sustained while participating in a civilian freefall parachute activity. Chris was born on 28Nov70. He was the son of Dennis and Melinda Callan. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his daughters Rosemary and Margaret and his son Samuel.
He started his military career on 28Mar90 by enlisting in the U. S. Navy Reserve followed by enlisting in the National Guard and serving from Sep93 until Aug94. On 19Aug94 he enlisted in the U. S. Army as an Infantryman. He was assigned to the 24th ID and the 3rd ID stationed at Fort Stewart, GA and later stationed in Germany with the 1st ID.
While serving with the 1st ID, he successfully completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course. In addition to completing the Special Forces Qualification Course, he completed the SF Medical, Communications and Intelligence Sergeants Courses. He was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Torii Station, Okinawa. He was discharged from Active Duty on 2Mar06.
On 3Mar06, he enlisted in the Rhode Island Army National Guard and was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served as Senior Communications Sergeant and as an Operations and Intelligent Sergeant. He deployed with Co A to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from 11Jan09 through 30Jul09.
Chris transferred to HHD, 56th Troop Command, RIARNG and served as First Sergeant. His final assignment was as the Operations NCO, 9Mar20 until 18Jul20. He had completed the
U. S. Army Sergeants Major Course and was posthumously promoted to Sergeant Major.
Some of the many courses successfully completed by Chris were SF Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Course, The High-Risk Level C SERE Course, The Antiterrorism Instructor Qualification Course, The SF Advanced Urban Combat Course and The Malaysian Combat Tracking Course.
Some of his awards and decorations include: Special Forces Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge (Jumpmaster), Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Bronze Star Medal. He was also awarded parachutist badges by Thailand, Dominican Republic, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines.
Chris was a Sergeant and supervisor with the East Greenwich, RI Police Department from 2006 until his death.
The funeral for Chris was conducted at the RI Veterans Cemetery on 28Jul20. Police Departments from all the jurisdictions in RI were represented. Members of Co A/2/19 and the 56th Troop Command had a significant presence. The EGPD vehicle carrying Chris’ remains paused in front of the SF Monument where a formation of members of Chapter 48 stood at Present Arms.
SFC Alan J. Williams
Sergeant First Class Alan J. Williams (M6124) was born on 14 November 1937 in Mansfield, PA. He was raised in Greenville, RI. He attended North Providence, RI High School. He enlisted in the United States Army on 26 January 1955. He was trained as a Combat Engineer (12B) and graduated from the Basic Airborne Course on 16 July 1955. He served as a Paratrooper with the 11th Airborne Division. He was discharge from Active Duty on 9 January 1958.
Al settled in Glocester, Rhode Island, married and had three children.
He enlisted in Company D, 16th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Rhode Island Army National Guard on 22 April 1963, which was less than a year after the unit had been activated. Al completed the Special Forces Course in 1965 and he graduated from the USA Quartermaster School Jump Master Course in 1966. He was awarded the Senior Parachute Badge in 1966.
Al was a fulltime Administrative and Supply Technician with the unit. He was discharged as a Sergeant First Class on 1 October 1968.
Al attended the Police Academy in 1968 as a member of the Barrington, RI Police Department where he served as a Patrol Officer and a Detective. He earned a Degree in Administration of Justice from Salve Regina University.
In the early to mid-1970s, he was appointed part-time Chief of Police for the Town of Glocester, RI while continuing to server on the Barrington Police Department. As Chief, he oversaw the modernization and professionalization of the Glocester Police Department and he hired the Town’s first full-time Police Officer.
After retiring he settled in Tucson, AZ with his second wife, Loretta (Palmieri). Alan died on 22 April 2020. Al was also the father of Chapter 48 member LTC(R) Jim Williams.
LTC Kenneth Hazzard Panciera
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Kenneth Hazzard Panciera (D4354), 89, beloved husband of Gilda Anne (Liguore) Panciera for 67 years, died on Sunday, 15 March 2020. He was a member of Chapter XLVIII (Rhode Island) SFA. He began his military career at the University of Rhode Island, graduating from the ROTC program in 1952 as a second lieutenant. He went on to serve with the 2nd Infantry Division in the DMZ in Korea in 1953-54 and then the Army Reserve from 1954-59 He joined the R.I. Army National Guard in 1959, as a First Lieutenant in the 103rd Field Artillery. He transferred to Company D, 16th SFGA and became jump qualified, SF qualified and Jump Master qualified. He served as an SFODA commander and as S-3. He commanded HHD, 6th SF Bn, 20th SFGA. In 1977 he was assigned as Assistant G-1, HHD, RIARNG. He retired in July 1980. He was the father of four children, Andrea Panciera, Christopher J. Panciera and Kenneth P. Panciera, all of Hopkinton, and the late Lynn K. (Panciera) Algier. He was the co-owner and operator of Russet Valley Farm, which raises polled Hereford beef cattle, in Hopkinton, R.I. Many R.I. farmers also knew him as their regional Farm Family Insurance agent. Due to coronavirus concerns, a private burial with military honors was conducted on 23 March 2020 at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Ashaway, RI.
MAJ Edward T. Damaso Jr.
MAJOR (Ret) EDWARD T. DAMASO Jr. (M6746) was a Life member of Chapter 48, SFA. Died peacefully, at age 87, on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at the Philip Hulitar Hospice Center, Providence with his family at his side.
Born in Providence to Edward T. Damaso Sr. and Louise (Laurienzo) Damaso, he was the beloved husband of Susan J. (Ettlinger) Eastwood Damaso and of the late Joanne M. (Martell) Damaso. Father of Debra L. Northcutt & her husband Andrew and his late infant son Michael Thomas Damaso. "Poppy" to three granddaughters: Cristina Hendrickson (husband Matthew), Jessica Alton (husband Samuel) and Alissa Northcutt and "G-Pops" to four great grandchildren: Andrew, William & Edward Hendrickson and Abigail Alton.
Ed served nearly 24 years in the US Army including over 20 years of active duty. He served almost 8 years overseas during the Korean and Vietnam Wars and retired on June 30, 1972. He graduated from the US Army Infantry Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1959. He completed the Basic Airborne Course in 1961. He was a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division as well as the US Army Special Forces. He served as Adjutant - Company C, 5th SFG 1967 – 1968 in Vietnam.
His military decorations included a Bronze Star (1 OLC Combat Infantryman Badge; the Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC); a Parachute Badge; a Korean Service Medal; a UN Service Medal; a National Defense Service Medal (1 OLC); a Vietnam Service Medal; the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/60 Device and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry both awarded by the South Vietnamese Government; Vietnam Jump Wings; a Meritorious Unit Citation and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal.
His funeral service was conducted at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Ave., West Warwick, RI on 25 February 2020. Burial with military honors took place at the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
MSG William R. Costantino
Master Sergeant (Retired) William R. Costantino (D3983) died on 20Aug19 at age 78. He was the beloved husband of Marcia A. (Schultz) Costantino. Bill was born on 21May41. He came from a large Italian-American family of twelve children. Bill’s military career started when he enlisted in Battery B, 3rd Howitzer Battalion, Rhode Island Army National Guard in 1960. He served as a gunner until the opportunity was presented to transfer to the recently activated Company D, 16th Special Forces Group (Airborne) RIARNG in 1963. Bill quickly became jump qualified, SF Jumpmaster qualified, and SF qualified. He served as a Demo SGT (12B) and as an Ops/Intel SGT. During his 20 years of service in SF he was assigned to Co D, 19th SFGA; Co C, 5/20th SFGA; Co A, 2/19th SFGA and the Troop Command (Special Forces). He retired in 1984. Bill was elected President of Chapter XLVIII, Special Forces Association and served in that capacity from 1992 thru 1994. He also served as the Chapter’s Treasurer from 2014 thru 2017.
Bill earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Accounting from Johnson and Wales University. He was the Vice President and owner of the Columbus Door Company, a family business.
His wake and Mass of Christian Burial were attended by Chapter members. Military Honors were rendered at St. Veronica’s Chapel, Narragansett, Rhode Island.
He is buried in The Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter, Rhode Island.
LTC John E. Robertson
LTC John E. Robertson, Jr. D7873 (Life), age 75, died of cancer on 27 March 2019. “Jack” died at the home he shared with his daughter Cheryl and her family. He was the husband of the late Carol J. Robertson. Jack’s military career started with his enlistment in Battery B, 2nd Missile Bn, 243d Artillery, RI Army National Guard on 6May64. He served as a missile crewman until he attended Officer Candidate School. He graduated OCS in 1967 and was commissioned as an Infantry Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to Company D, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) RIARNG. He served as an SFODA commander and S-2 with Company C, 5th Bn, 20th SF Gp (A) RIARNG. While serving as S-2 he changed branches from Infantry to Military Intelligence. Jack competed the SF Jumpmaster Course and the SFQC. In 1975, he transferred to the Rhode Island Military Academy and served as the S-3. In 1980, he was assigned to HHD, RIARNG (Selective Service Section). On 1Mar87, he transferred to the USAR Control Group and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. His awards included the Senior Parachutist Badge and the SF Tab. Jack served as President, Chapter XLVIII, SFA from 2008 until 2010. He was employed by Verizon for 37 years prior to his retirement. Jack was buried with military honors in St. Joseph Cemetery, West Greenwich, RI on 1 April 2019. Members of Chapter XLVIII provided an honor guard at his wake, at the church and at the cemetery.
SFC Paul John Kastrinakis
Sergeant First Class Paul John Kastrinakis, 46, passed away on February 7, 2019 at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Annadale, VA from a severe bacterial infection. He graduated Westfield State University with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Anna Maria College with a Masters in Criminal Justice. Paul was a retired Massachusetts State Police Trooper where he served on the State Police Bomb Squad. The events of 9/11 compelled Paul to enlist in C Co 1st BN 104th INF, MAARNG on 23Oct01. On 22Apr03, he transferred to Company A, 2nd Bn, 19th SF Gp (A), RIARNG and started his Special Forces service. He successfully completed the Basic Airborne Course, SFQC and 18C training. In 2011 he transferred to Company C, 1st Bn, 20th SF Gp(A), MAARNG and served until 2013. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during his Special Forces service. His numerous awards and decorations included the Parachutist Badge, the Special Forces Tab and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Paul most recently supported the Department of Homeland Security as a cybersecurity exercise planner. He leaves behind his wife, Catherine Kastrinakis, of Pittsfield; his beloved children, Luc and Malcolm; his mother and father, Joyce and John Kastrinakis of Lenox; his brothers and their wives, Jason and Sabrina Kastrinakis of Pittsfield, Alex and Lynsey Kastrinakis of Hancock, and George and Sheila Kastrinakis of Lee; as well as many nieces and nephews. Greek Orthodox funeral services for Paul was held on February 18, 2019 at St. Ann’s Church in Lenox.
