Veterans Day and Looking Forward

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 Nov. 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.

History of the Veteran Bond

During World War I, the U.S. Armed Forces fought alongside courageous European soldiers. We’ve witnessed similar courage in generations since during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and in the Middle East. Collectively, we have bonded to form a global community of veterans, and we all deserve the recognition affiliated with sacrifice for a greater good. This is our “thank you” for a job well done!

How We’re Celebrating the Veteran Community

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, 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.

With that, we look forward to celebrating in 2016 AMU’s 25th Anniversary since being established in 1991. We also look forward with great anticipation to the opening of our newest endeavor, the APUS Veterans Center on Campus, which will become the center point of our activities associated with our veteran students. Our Student Veterans of America Chapter, which currently consists of approximately 3,000 members, will also be headquartered within this resource center. Each chapter member is an AMU and U.S. Armed Forces member.

We intend to provide a variety of opportunities to aid our veteran students in their classroom environment and also with life in general. Details of the center will be announced during the opening, and just as the mission of the school is to provide education at a distance, the Veterans Center’s mission will follow suit to help support those who are not located in the same region.

On November 11, we honor and proudly say “thank you” to all veterans, particularly our student body veterans. We want you to know, we’re thinking about you on this special day and on every day that comes before and after. We’re deeply committed to you and your academic success, and we strive daily to help provide more opportunities for you.

Happy Veterans Day!

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