NEIU held a Veteran’s Day celebration in the Peace Garden on Nov. 11, where about 40 people gathered to honor our military heroes. The NEIU Veterans Club organized the event commemorate our fallen soldiers and support our troops at war.
Many are unaware that one out of every ten students at NEIU is a veteran. Tim Liberty, president of the club, is one of those veterans who went from “trigger puller to test taker.” Liberty, a Marine who worked as an infantryman during his four years in the service, gave thanks to the veterans in his opening speech.
Some of the students and staff who attended the ceremony were Ross Prolic, a veteran who served two years in the Navy, Ebony Marshall served in the Air Force for four years, Mike Martindale, our math lab supervisor, did one tour in Vietnam from 1971-1972 and Nick Skyba, founder of the NEIU Veterans Club served in the Air Force for four years. Liberty introduced President Sharon Hahs who referenced her father’s service in the military to convey the significance of Veterans Day.
“[Today is a] day to reflect, remember, honor and commemorate,” said Hahs. “This ceremony epitomizes integrity and community.”
Army Sergeant Joe Hertel, founder of the university’s Peace Garden, was a guest speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony. Hertel told the congregation that while browsing through all the “meaningless twits” that morning on Facebook, he noticed only one status saying “Thank you vets.” His illustration brought to light how easily a smilitary person’s sacrifice can be unacknowledged.
In his oration, Hertel also answered the question, “What is a veteran?” He stated that the second a person takes a military oath they change, “from being the protected to the protector.”Although many soldiers deem that they cannot call themselves veterans since they lack experience at war, Hertel claims anyone taking the oath deserves the title because they do not know what to expect from their future duties and assignments.
The Veterans Day ceremony concluded with the placement of a pair of nameless dog tags on the commemorative wall in the Peace Garden. In honor of fallen soldiers and prisoners of war, NEIU student Justine Hargesheimer, a Marine, presented the dog tags to the wall as Damien Dimas, another NEIU student and Marine, played taps.
“It’s overwhelming. I feel honored representing those who served,” concluded Hargesheimer.