University Veteran Services held a Veterans Day Recognition Breakfast Monday morning at Memorial Union for community members to gather and honor those who served or are currently serving in the U.S. military.
The UW Brass Quintet opened the breakfast with the National Anthem and Director of University Veteran Services and Marine Corps Veteran Joe Rasmussen delivered opening and closing remarks.
Before introducing the other two speakers, Rasmussen shared a bit about what the day means for him and the importance of personal connections for veterans.
“Camaraderie is really special to the veteran community,” Rasmussen said. “When I think about veterans, I think about the folks who served and how important they are too. We’re a community who certainly uplifts one another.”
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Fernie Rodriguez followed with remarks about their experience growing up along the border in El Paso, Texas surrounded by veterans and military service. They also spoke on the importance of service members having a community and feeling represented on campus.
The university has seen a 15% increase in military students receiving direct support from veterans services and approximately 500 students on campus are former, current or future Badger service members and ROTC students, Rodriguez said.
“Together, we can ensure that our veteran students feel strong, feel belonging and feel empowered in this environment, ready to make a positive impact here at UW-Madison and beyond,” Rodriguez said.
Marine Corps Veteran and UW Alumnus John Koller was the guest speaker for the event and spoke on his personal experience serving in the Marine and about how Veterans Day has a distinct significance for everyone.
“The meaning of Veterans Day is unique for each one of us,” Koller said. “But there is one thing that we all universally share today … It’s that we are taking time to remember and recognize those that served.”
After the event, attendees were invited to dedicate a dog tag to a veteran in their life at Library Mall.
One attendee, Pete Mooney, who served in the army from 1967 to 1969, said Veterans Day is a special time for him to remember his great uncle who died serving in World War I and to think about his parents who got married while both serving in World War II.
Mooney shared his thoughts on the active presence of military students on campus and his connection to them.
“It’s a lot of fun to see younger people here,” Mooney said. “I actually took a group of about 20 Navy ROTC students sailing about three weeks ago … and we had a lot of fun together.”
In his closing remarks, Rasmussen invited those who have a history of military service to consider submitting to the Badger Veteran Photo Project to be recognized for their service. Those interested can make their submissions at the University Veterans Services website.
