UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
At the time of his induction, Dave LaViolette was the last Blugold football player to start on both offense and defense. He was an All-Conference halfback in both 1962 and 1963 and served as captain of the unbeaten 1963 squad. He led the team in kickoff and punt returns in 1963 and in interceptions in both 1961 and 1962. He was also a member of the NAIA All-District 14 football team in 1963. After graduating from UWEC, LaViolette enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Captain during his career which lasted until 1975. He was a highly-decorated helicopter pilot in Vietnam, earning 53 Air Medals for 1,060 combat missions during two tours of duty. Among his awards and citations was the Distinguished Flying Cross for “heroism and extraordinary achievement in aerial flight.” After leaving the service, LaViolette became a real estate broker in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
