Veterans honored at Hendricks Chapel for sacrifices
Syracuse University ROTC members stand on the Quad on Friday morning and ROTC members presented a wreath to honor Fort Drums wounded warriors as the bugler played Taps.
More than 20 million veterans living in the United States today have made sacrifices for the safety of their fellow Americans.
Keynote speaker Sean O’Keefe commended veterans for placing themselves in positions of danger by joining the armed forces at Syracuse University’s Veterans Day ceremony Friday. O’Keefe, CEO of leading defense company EADS North America and former NASA administrator, received his master’s degree from SU in 1978.
‘Veterans are a very special breed of humans who have come to know American values more deeply than many of our citizens,’ O’Keefe said.
SU took the opportunity to thank these veterans at a service in Hendricks Chapel at 11 a.m., followed by laying a wreath on the Quad.
‘We remember those whose lives were lost in the pursuit of peace, and pray for the comfort of their families and friends,’ said Tiffany Steinwert, dean of Hendricks.
SU has a tradition of supporting veterans, said Roosevelt ‘Rick’ Wright Jr., a retired captain of the U.S. Navy and associate professor at SU. In 2011, G.I. Jobs magazine named SU a military friendly school for accepting veterans and service members as students.
During the ceremony, speakers including Stacy Pearsall, a military photojournalist and SU alumna, and Lt. Col. Ray Bowen, SU’s Air Force ROTC chair, spoke about SU veterans and the importance of Veterans Day.
‘Observing Veterans Day helps us to focus attention on an important objective: a chance to honor American veterans for their patriotism to our country,’ Bowen said to the audience.
Pictures of these soldiers — in combat, wounded and with their families — flickered across a large screen on stage as country singer Michael Peterson sang an emotional rendition of ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.’
Veterans were later asked to stand to be recognized while the 198th Army Band played the anthems of the five branches of the armed forces.
Duane Williams, who fought in the Navy in World War II and is a member of the Onondaga Nation, stood in his Haudenosaunee dress when his branch of the armed forces was called.
When the service ended, Williams said only six of his World War II friends are still alive. He recalled swimming, drinking hard cider in the cemetery following the war and coming home, which he called ‘the best memory of all.’
The ceremony moved to the Quad, where SU’s ROTC members presented a wreath to honor Fort Drum’s wounded warriors as the bugler played ‘Taps.’
Army ROTC member Lauren Whitmire, a senior history major from right outside Fort Drum, and Elizabeth Elliott, a sophomore public health major, said they were pleased to see SU show appreciation for the veterans as well as the students serving in ROTC.
Said Whitmire: ‘In the world today, people lose sight of the fact that, even if you may not agree with the politics, people are sacrificing their lives to save others.’
Published on November 13, 2011 at 12:00 pm
