Brigadier General Thomas V. Draude, USMC (Ret)

Brigadier General Thomas V. Draude, USMC (Ret) served in the United States Marine Corps for 30 ½ years. Born in Kankakee, Illinois, Tom graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy. He was an honor graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is also a graduate of the National War College. During his military career, he received two Distinguished Service Medals, and ten personal awards for combat, including two Silver Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Navy Commendation Medal, all with the Combat “Vs” and the Purple Heart Medal. Tom’s final assignment was Director of Public Affairs for the Marine Corps.

Civilian positions included service on the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Marine Corps University Foundation (MCUF) and The General Robert H. Barrow Distinguished Chair of Military Studies at the Marine Corps University.
Tom and his wife, Sandi, have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Upon his nomination to the Board of Directors, Tom writes,

I first heard about Fr. Capodanno from Marines and Fr. Krulak who served with him in Vietnam. In 2001 I began Chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and prayed to Fr. Capodanno for remission of my cancer. In just seven months, my prayers were answered and I attributed it to him. Since then I have attended the anniversary Mass while we were in Northern Virginia. I am honored to be asked to serve.