Honoring Those Who Served

Take time today to thank a veteran or service member for their sacrifice

November 10, 2011

Cameron Kerr '09 returned to campus for Veterans Day and helped place more than 700 U.S. flags on Britton Plaza. The display symbolizes lives lost in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Kerr was wounded while aiding a friend in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. For his bravery, Kerr was awarded the Purple Heart.

Rising in the cold dark hours before dawn, Dickinson’s ROTC battalion, Army veterans and participants from the U.S. Army War College joined together for their annual three-mile run in honor of Veterans Day.

Now in its third year, the 6:30 a.m. run is a way to recognize U.S. veterans, both living and deceased, who have served their country and protected our freedoms.

“ROTC recognizes veterans because we all know that freedom is not free,” said Lt. Col. Erik Rodney, assistant professor of military science. “We honor those who have helped pave the way for the freedoms and privileges we enjoy today.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are nearly 22 million military veterans in the United States.

In recognition of Veterans Day, 710 flags grace Britton Plaza. The flags were installed at midnight on Veterans Day by Dickinson student and retired Army Sgt. Nathan Toews ’12 and alumnus Cameron Kerr ’09. Toews and Kerr were injured while serving in Afghanistan and both have received the Purple Heart. Read more about Toews and Kerr's efforts to make last year’s Veterans Day observance a special event.

Also in honor of Veterans Day, an opinion piece by Dickinson College President William G. Durden ’71 appears in today’s Christian Science Monitor. Durden writes that as we spend this day honoring America’s veterans and their service and sacrifice, consider reflecting on the virtues of quiet patriotism.

 Veterans Day: I may not have the right bumper sticker, but I'm still patriotic