It
wasn’t the first time Kernan was honored on Blue-Gold weekend. At the 1973
game, 20,000 fans rose to their feet in Notre Dame Stadium to welcome him onto
the field. Had he made it to the majors? Was he a newly famous celebrity? No.
It was just Joe—happy to be home in the place he loved.
Kernan’s
plane had been shot down almost a year before on May 7, 1972 in the Vietnam
War, and he had spent 11 months as a prisoner of war at the infamous Hoa Lo
Prison in Hanoi. The prison was known as a place of torture, interrogation, and
filth. As disturbing as enduring time in a dilapidated cell would be,
unaware of when he would be released, Joe never lost what people know him best
for—his spirit. Jokingly, immediately upon his return home Joe asked a
newspaper reporter “Who won the Super Bowl?”
Joe’s
life of service didn’t stop after his military career. After serving in South
Bend’s city controller’s office in the early 1980s, Kernan was elected mayor of
his beloved city in 1987. He served his city until 1996, when Frank O’Bannon
selected Joe to be his running mate in his successful election for Indiana
Governor. Although he never had any ambition to pursue his state’s highest
position, the tragic passing of Governor O’Bannon led to Kernan’s ascent to the
Governor’s office, where he finished the term before returning to his beloved
city of South Bend, Indiana.
Kernan’s
determined spirit never relented in his career. He brought jobs back to the
South Bend economy that had struggled since the 1960s. He strengthened the
relationship between the University of Notre Dame and his city that is still
bearing fruits today. As he led the state’s department of commerce, thousands
of jobs were created in the state. His work in the state capitol engineered the
expansion of the Indiana Education system, improving all levels of education:
early-education programming up through the state’s college system.
Along
with his esteemed political career, Kernan may be remembered most for securing
minor league baseball’s future in South Bend. The team was a landmark
acquisition for the city in the mid 1980s, but by 2005, there was pressure on
the team’s ownership to move the much-loved team. Amidst the turmoil, Kernan
spearheaded a group that purchased the team with the firm intent to keep the
Silver Hawks in South Bend. Joe kept that pledge until just last year when
Kernan’s group sold the team to Andrew Berlin a baseball lover in his own right
with ties firmly in the Midwest. Because Mr. Berlin too plans to keep the
Silver Hawks local, Joe could pass the organization forward knowing he’d
fulfilled his commitment to the team and the city.
So thanks to Joe Kernan’s heart for all things South Bend, and all things baseball, we have the opportunity to enjoy evenings at Coveleski Stadium for years to come. It is a
legacy
that epitomizes Kernan’s ethos. If you go to a Silver Hawks game today, you’ll
continue to be struck by the beauty of the facilities at the Cove, humbled by
hospitality of the staff, impressed by the level of play and warmed by the
community the team inspires.
Among
all the splendor you will see, one thing you might not notice at a Silver Hawks
game is the same thing that gets overlooked at a lot of baseball games—the
catcher. Even though he’s involved in every play, he rarely gets recognized. He
stays at the plate, guides the squad, and protects the team’s assets. And
that’s Joe: happy to be at Home Base.
