Comments on: The Fighting ____________

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:06:33 +0000

If you like the stories about “subways” get to the campus early and walk around and met them,they are there every game!You can spot a first time attendee and show him around and listen to his stories.I try to make it a great day for them and make sure they dont miss any of the game day fun.Walk the family down to the grotto and watch the reaction they show you.I love ND and love to be with people who love ND on game day.It is very special to me!
“GO IRISH”

By: Wisconsin Fighter

Wisconsin Fighter — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:15:37 +0000

Hey everyone,
The best term that I could come up with for “subway alumni” who grew up on farms was “silo alumni” but that might be too specific to dairy farming. 🙂 Anyways, we all know the point: they are everywhere and all of us, all of us, are one big happy fighting family. Claw for that extra yard. Go Irish!

By: Geoffrey '73

Geoffrey '73 — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:10:37 +0000

I live overseas. I haven’t been back for 20 years, but I am returning for reunion.
Thanks.

By: bandfather

bandfather — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:52:17 +0000

Thank You for this SEE. It is great that you maintained a connection with your dad throughout his life. The fact that is was ND makes it all the sweeter. What a wonderful beacon the Golden Dome can be for all of us. I hope that every time you see that impossibly bright reflection of the sun coming from it, that you are gently reminded of your father and of the moments you shared with him.

By: Sean Naughten, ND'61

Sean Naughten, ND'61 — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:38:28 +0000

Great stories of life of genuine middle class Catholics…the foundation of our church in the US…my father and mother came from Ireland in the ’20’s…my father had been a member of the IRA with DeValera and Collins…met my mother in NYC..they raised 4 children…my brother graduated from Le Moyne (S.J.) in Syracuse and my 2 sisters graduated from Marymount in NYC…all on a Dugan Bakers delivery truck salary….no food stamps…no federal assistance

By: Loomis

Loomis — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:13:59 +0000

Thank you for all you do.

By: Wisconsin Fighter

Wisconsin Fighter — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:46:32 +0000

I’ve never written in before…..I’m just one of the thousands of leaches that come on board to get my NDNATION fix. But today I’ve arrived home from my own father’s funeral….there should be a name for these guys that are “subway alumni” but grew up on farms nowhere near subways. My never missed a day or nighttime stormy “trouble call” in 40 years of being a lineman climbing telephone poles. I watched the last Blue/Gold game with him. He faded this last Saturday. A Fighting Czech.
The point was made at the funeral and it applies to all of us…..we need to keep the fight and the faithfulness, the tenderness and the strength, alive. Some years we barely had money for shoes. My Dad never attended a class at Notre Dame but saw a son graduate from West Point, and I, the 9th, got through Notre Dame somehow. But everyone, whether attending Notre Dame or not, can use her as a beacon. We can all fighter together for these great values whether we attended or not. That’s the great thing about Notre Dame. Her values are free and open to all. Thank you SEE

By: Mark P - ND '79

Mark P - ND '79 — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:19:41 +0000

Your story reminded me of the bus station scene from “Rudy”, when Ned Beatty tells Rudy that “…Notre Dame is not for us. It’s for smart kids. It’s for rich kids….” I also was a child of lesser means that grew up on the South side of Chicago. Notre Dame was Mt. Olympus for a shy Irish kid that dreamed of somehow making it to South Bend to rub shoulders with the “gods” of my youth. I couldn’t afford it after my parents separated my senior year of HS, but I went anyway. My mom kept pushing me to follow my dream, and it now defines my adult life.

As she slips away now from a debilitating stroke, I prefer to remember the scrapping woman who did her best for all her kids, and helped one carry the pride and honor of Notre Dame every day on this Earth. Parents are like that.

By: ND_Backer4Ever

ND_Backer4Ever — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:01:13 +0000

SEE

What a wonderful story. This is what makes Notre Dame and all who love her unique. It is not just about football or the school or even the storied tradition. It’s about faith, character, the journey through life itself. Thanks for sharing.

Jake

By: Larry Ward

Larry Ward — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:32:14 +0000

You should be very proud of your Dad.

Many of us have similar stories except for the illness.

I hope our kids remember us the same way that you remember your Dad.

I must say it brought a tear to my eye near the end.