Trident Tuition Funds
Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have started this education initiative for the 2020-2021 academic year. Trident Tuition Funds was created to honor one of the first Scouts & Raiders, J.W. Lunde. This program provides financial support to the dependents of Special Operations individuals who wish to provide a private education for their preschool-age children, private school for children Kindergarten through 12th grade, and to help supplement college tuition for undergraduates. You may join this effort by making a donation from the Support page on our website.
The Trident Tuition Funds mission is to support US Naval Special Warfare families private education granting student tuition awards based on financial need. The three tips of this Trident spear are:
- Access to a private Preschool education
- Access to a private education, grades K through 12th grade
- Provision of tuition support to help college students bridge financial hardship
Multiple awards in various dollar amounts will be awarded annually. Awards will be granted primarily based on financial need and/or hardship.
The 2025 Trident Tuition Funds Application
Sponsored by Tim and Pati Walsh, Trident Tuition Funds was created to honor one of the first Scouts & Raiders, J.W. Lunde. This program provides financial support to the dependents of Naval Special Warfare individuals who wish to provide a private education for their preschool-age children, private school for children Kindergarten through 12th grade, and to help supplement college tuition for students at university.
Applicants must reapply each year they are interested in receiving tuition funds.
Pati and Tim Walsh began this school choice tuition program in honor of J.W. Lunde, Amphibious Scouts and Raiders (S&R) First Class, one of 49 qualified.
About J.W. Lunde
He volunteered for the first American WWII commando unit, the Amphibious Scouts and Raiders (S&R) – Ft. Pierce; First Class (49 graduates). He served in ten invasion operations, Central Pacific (1943-1945) from the USS Rocky Mount command ship.
After the war, he graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Mechanical Engineering degree.
After a short tenure with General Electric Co. in Indiana, he left to join the Werner von Braun US space effort 1958; it was under military control.
In 1960, the operation changed to NASA, at which time he led a design and development team as Chief Engineer, creating the J-2 rocket engine with slide rules. The J-2 engine was an integral component in America’s Saturn V Apollo Moon Mission’s success.
The J-2 burned liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to power the second stage (cluster of five) and the third stage with a single re-igniting engine. The single J-2 propelled astronauts to the moon and back over 50 years ago.
Jack Lunde lived the ethos he learned while serving his country. In fact, the discipline and innovation required as a Scout and Raider (S&R) carried over into his Engineering career. It was also recognized by his other brothers, the Scottish Rite Masons – Supreme Council conferred Jack the 33rd degree for his major contributions to society, an honor awarded to less than one percent of Freemasons.
In addition, he was a self-taught investor. He influenced the Trident Tuition Funds sponsors daughter, Pati, and son-in-law, Tim, who both share his disciplined and innovative approach to life. Their team effort has expanded his original assets with diversification and additional assets so that his financial legacy is able to share select school choice opportunities for his Navy SEAL Team brothers, their families.