“An Agent Of Reconciliation Between The People Of God And God”: A West Point Grad And Military Police Officer Becomes A Priest

Father Richard Wilson was born in 1951 and grew up in the small town of Red Lake Falls, Minnesota. He was the 4th of 9 children (5 girls and 4 boys). They grew up poor, and the family did not have indoor plumbing until 1972. His father, Woodrow, worked at a gas station and was a surveyor, and his mother, Harriet, raised the children and later worked as a nurses’ aide at a nursing home. He did well in high school (salutatorian) and worked for the town Veterinarian to earn money for college. He was introduced to the idea of West Point when his high school history teacher passed out applications. He filled one out, thinking it would be neat to be able to say he was accepted by West Point, never really intending to attend. He took the civil service exam and the physical, and he applied to other colleges. He was surprised when he was called to the office with news that he had been offered admission, and his parents were proud that he had been accepted. He remembers his brother telling him to “get an education and get out of poverty.” Richard remembers Dr. E. C. Stelter (“Doc”) taking him to the airport to fly to West Point, and a friendly passenger on the plane arranging for a cab to take him to the Piccadilly Hotel, where he spent the night before R-Day. Reporting on R-Day, he remembers being told to “drop the bags,” and another upperclassman ordering him to “stop sweating!” He had good military experiences as a Cadet, including Army Orientation Training in Germany and earning his airborne wings before his firstie year. He describes studying hard to get into the top third of the class. He picked Russian as his language since the Cold War was ongoing. Even though he was a Platoon Leader at one point, he felt that he had a lack of confidence in his leadership abilities. He participated in the Russian Club and describes planning a trip to D.C. to visit the Pentagon and CIA. He also taught Protestant Sunday School, working with 1st and 2nd grade children. He describes his company, C4, as laid back, noting that 4th Regiment was the “de-militarized zone.” He notes that they were the first class to not “brace.” He picked Military Police as a branch because of a positive relationship with MAJ Ladd in the “Officer’s Christian Union,” thinking that in a peacetime environment (the U.S. had just pulled out of Vietnam) he would get to do his mission all the time. His first assignment was in Japan. After returning from Japan in 1976, he was assigned to the Engineer District, Atlanta. He noticed his boss exhibiting behavior that seemed to be defrauding the government. When he brought the issue to the IG, he was told to confront that boss. He did, and for his efforts, he received a mediocre OER (Officer Evaluation Report). He was worried that it might hurt his career, but he managed to survive it. He even describes an experience where he thought he had not been promoted to Major, but that was in error. From 1983 to 1984, he attended the Institute for Military Assistance and the Defense Language Institute at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, in preparation for an assignment in 1984 teaching at the United States Army School of the Americas in Panama. He taught students (soldiers) from El Salvador and Honduras the Law of Land Warfare and about the Geneva and Hague Conventions. From 1989 to 1992, he was serving in Venezuela with the U.S. Army Military Group, and was there during the February 1992 coup attempt by Hugo Chavez. In 1994, he retired from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel and became a financial advisor for Edward D. Jones and Company, running his own business as a financial advisor until 2010. After retiring from the Army his marriage was struggling, and he considered going to a Lutheran Seminary. In 1998, the book “Surprised by Truth” started him on the journey to become Catholic. In 2010, while praying the Liturgy of the Hours, he was inspired by the idea of becoming a priest. At 58, he thought he might be too old to become a priest, but he learned that it was possible. He started at the Seminary of Blessed John XXIII (Now Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary) and then transferred to St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. At one point, he was challenged about his experiences at the School of the Americas, but was able to clear that hurdle. He was ordained in 2015, and since that time has served in parishes in Columbia, Georgetown, North Augusta, and now Aiken, South Carolina. Reflecting on his time at the Military Academy, he states, “I always use what I learned at West Point.” He is grateful that the American people made his journey through the Academy possible, and he notes, “I serve the country and God.”