Veterans Day: A Continual Effort

GySgt George Vukovich — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 13:13:59 -0500

Last year, I contributed an article (http://rly.pt/vetday-15) to Command Post as a reminder of the origin and significance of Veterans Day. The responses I received were incredibly endearing from a historical perspective and highly valued from an education standpoint! Here are a few key snippets I wanted to share with you again from that post:

“Veterans Day celebrates and honors those who selflessly served our great country as members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The genesis of this day dates to the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when major hostilities of World War I formally ended.

The day links together a global community of veterans. Did you know that many European countries honor the day, but refer to it as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day? Did you know that November 11 was not officially celebrated in the U.S. as Veterans Day until 1954? Prior recognition in the U.S. was the same as our European counterparts, which we previously honored as Armistice Day. Regardless of the name, it’s important to remember the significance of honoring those who served."

"As we speak of a community of veterans, I want to share some local insights as well. Celebrating the legacy of the veteran community tends to focus on one day of the year in particular. Veterans Day comes and Veterans Day goes. I’m very fortunate in my adult life, as I’ve had the privilege of serving our country in the U.S. Marine Corps for 20 years.

Since then, I’ve been equally fortunate to represent an institution of education, American Military University (http://rly.pt/AMU-vet-day), which truly supports our military and veteran community on a daily basis. We’ve helped thousands of veterans and military students earn an academic degree, and we currently serve and support more than 50,000 such students in our program.

Our pledge to our community of veteran learners is constant and consistent. Our willingness and desire to provide greater opportunities is unwavering. We think about the needs of our students daily — not just once a year.”

AMU’s Pledge to Veterans during 2016 and Beyond

From the university’s point of view, we officially opened our doors to not only veterans invested in our academic programs but to veterans in our surrounding communities, too. During 2016, AMU officially opened the doors to our Veterans Center on campus, in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the university.

We hosted numerous events to aid and assist veterans with various needs as they progress through their careers. These events included resume writing seminars, social media for networking purposes, weekend academic boot camps, computer basics training and entrepreneurial seminars to help veterans create and start their own businesses. We also partnered with various veterans’ support organizations to help raise money to support the needs and missions of these organizations through charity initiatives!

Veterans Day is Every Day

We fully understand Veterans Day is every day! We celebrate this special holiday every day of the year. Whether we speak of our students who served our country, our staff and faculty who proudly donned a uniform in our Armed Forces community, our fellow veterans we meet for the first time, or one of our brothers or sisters who suffer from physical or mental anguish, we dedicate our day’s work to these individuals.

We meet new veterans daily; we help new veterans daily; and we are proud of these accomplishments! November 11 has special meaning to all of us, but I urge you to continue supporting veterans and dedicating your efforts to helping military veterans each and every day.

There will be times when you see the positive effects of your support come to fruition in front of you and other times it will surface at a later time. Regardless of when it occurs, you will feel the pride of knowing you helped make a difference in a veteran’s life. A highly respected and retired Navy SEAL provided me with one of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard. He also gave his permission to use this quote in the Halls of our Veterans Center on campus. Please remember and live by these words as you continue your life’s journey:

“Lead, Mentor, Overcome. Make a Difference in This World” - Lt. Jason ‘Jay’ Redman, USN Ret.

Happy Veterans Day!

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Response by Capt Craig Gilman made Nov 9 at 2016 2:13 PM

Capt Craig Gilman — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:13:35 -0500

"Every day is Veterans Day." Truly.

Response by SFC Collin McMillion made Nov 9 at 2016 5:39 PM

SFC Collin McMillion — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 17:39:12 -0500

Veteran's Day is a proud day for all of us, but.....let us truly honor those who did not make it!!!!!

Response by PO3 John Aldrich made Nov 9 at 2016 5:39 PM

PO3 John Aldrich — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 17:39:44 -0500

Well said, Gunny. Keep doing great things!

Response by Lt Col Chris Reynolds made Nov 9 at 2016 6:04 PM

Lt Col Chris Reynolds — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 18:04:26 -0500

Veteran's Day allows civilians to recognize the sacrifices the men and women in uniform have made and continue to make. Those of us who have worn or continue to wear the uniform maintain an enduring love and heartfelt respect for ALL of our Veterans!!! PROUD to associate myself with such an esteem group!!!