AMHS’ May Meeting To Focus on History of DC’s Italian Community
Capt. Crockett giving her presentation on the Italian community.
The guest speaker for the AMHS meeting on May 17 will be Retired Captain Kathleen Principe Crockett of the U.S. Air Force. Capt. Crockett began her master’s degree in history at the University of Massachusetts in Boston while still on active duty and is writing her thesis on the early Italian community of Washington, D.C., exploring how it developed differently from other East Coast Italian enclaves. So, the title of her Power Point presentation is “The Italians of Washington from 1880 to 1940.”
Kathleen was born in Frederick, Md., to Nan Principe and Dennis Crockett. Her maternal grandfather, Louis Principe, was born in Washington on November 11, 1918, to Italian emigrants from Campania, Cosimo Alberto Luigi Principe and Elizabeth Geltrude Ricci Pollio, who immigrated to Washington around 1898 and 1892, respectively. Inspired by her grandfather’s dedication to family history, Kathleen grew up surrounded by stories that shaped her love of history and genealogy.
She graduated from Walkersville High School in MD and then Texas A&M University in 2014 with a degree in history and a minor in military history. A member of the Corps of Cadets and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, she commissioned in the Air Force, following in the footsteps of both her grandfathers. She served as a Logistics Readiness Officer at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, and in Kuwait. Her work spanned everything from mass movement planning and supply chain management to aircraft fueling operations, vehicle maintenance, and global cargo movement. Her proudest work was leading recovery efforts after Hurricane Michael and the day-in-day-out leadership of airmen ranging in units from three to three hundred.
In 2020, Kathleen was diagnosed with three rare kidney diseases, requiring emergency dialysis and ultimately a kidney transplant. Two years later, she received that gift of life from a fellow Air Force officer. During her recovery, she became a spokesperson for the Air Force Wounded Warrior program, sharing her story to inspire resilience and compassion. She has since returned to service as a civilian Executive Officer for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection at the Pentagon – her dream job!
Kathleen lives in Silver Spring with her husband, Major Zachary Millander, their two dogs, and two cats. In her free time, she remains deeply involved with the Civil Air Patrol, which she has served since 2005, and she loves fitting in as many Broadway shows as her schedule allows.
The luncheon will take place at Casa Italian and begin at 1:45. To learn more and to register, click HERE.
Spring 2026