June 18, 2012
On Sunday, June 3, 2012, Thomas J. Kehoe, a Captain in the
United States Army Reserves and a veteran of two tours of combat
duty in Iraq, added a law degree to a string of great achievements
in his young life that includes a Bronze Star for his heroism in
Iraq. Now an Associate in Goldman Sachs' Private Wealth Management,
Tom is clear about the central role selfless service to country has
played in his life. “I have been a member of the Army for over 11
years now, either on active duty or as a reservist, and I deem it a
privilege to have served our country in such a manner,” Tom
said.
Born in Glen Cove , N.Y. and raised in Northport, Tom attended
Iona College for two years before receiving an ROTC Army
scholarship to attend Fordham University, from where he graduated
in 2002 with his Bachelor’s Degree in History and a commission as a
Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Following six months on active
duty, he returned to civilian life as a paralegal at the prominent
law firm of Cravath, Swain & Moore until he was called up in
January,2004 for his first combat tour in the Mideast. Upon his
release from active duty in 2006, Tom began his studies at St.
John’s School of Law. His legal education took five years instead
of three because he was again called to active duty in his 2L
year.
Public service is a proud Kehoe family tradition. Tom’s
grandfather and namesake, Thomas J. Kehoe, earned the Bronze Star
and two Purple Hearts while serving in World War II. After the war,
he attended the Law School, then located in Brooklyn, as an evening
student while working as a New York City police officer, graduating
St. John’s in 1951. And in 1979 Tom’s uncle, Gregory W. Kehoe,
earned his St. John’s law degree on the way to becoming one of the
most outstanding war crimes prosecutors in recent times. “Uncle
Greg,” the Law School’s 2005 Commencement speaker, prosecuted war
criminals in The Hague for atrocities arising from the Balkan
conflict in the mid 1990’s. In 2004, he was appointed by President
George W. Bush to serve as United States Chief Advisor (Regime
Crimes Liaison) to the Iraqi Crimes Tribunal in Baghdad (which was
charged with prosecuting Saddam Hussein). “My esteemed Uncle Greg’s
historic work with the Department of Justice and in private
practice has been an inspiration to me since I was a young boy,”
Tom said.
The path Tom Kehoe has followed has not been an easy one, but
his spirit is indomitable. He continues to be active in the army
reserves, and a return to public service, whether in the military
or in government, is not out of the question. During his last
school year he worked as a law clerk to the House Committee on
Homeland Security, serving as a legal analyst for the Subcommittee
on Border and Maritime Security. “Service to our country is
important to me, as it should be to all Americans,” he observed.
And his commitment to public service does not foreclose leisure
activities. With an avid interest in Irish history, Tom boxes for
the New York Athletic Club, recently representing the club in a
boxing tournament in Ireland. “We have such a wonderful history of
Irish-American relations, and I’m so proud of my Irish ancestry,”
he said (despite a defeat at the hands of the Irish boxer in Dublin
in a close contest).
At the Law School’s recent Commencement Exercises, Tom’s proud
parents looked on as he received his St. John’s JD degree to
deafening applause from the over 3000 guests in attendance.
According to
Michael A. Simons, Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law
and Ethics, who presided at ceremony, “Tom and Greg Kehoe are two
heroic graduates of our law school, and their demonstrated
dedication to public service is a model for us all. Our society
would be better, and safer, with more such exemplary
leaders.”