UMD Celebrates and Honors Veterans on Nov. 11 and All Month

The University of Maryland works year-round to support, honor, celebrate and remember our nation’s Veterans, particularly UMD’s large community of faculty, staff, student and alumni Veterans. The campus community does so with extra emphasis and attention during a host of events this month to honor Veterans.

The month’s most prominent event is UMD’s Veterans Day Service and Lunch at the university's beautiful Memorial Chapel on on Monday, November 11 with services beginning at noon. The University of Maryland community will come together to honor and remember veterans through an exceptional program of music and spoken word.

Remarks will be offered by two Veterans with extensive ties to the UMD community. Jack Baker (ret. U.S. Air Force) has more than 50 years of facilities and operations experience including 20 years in the Air Force and 27 years with UMD, where he is Director of Facilities Operations and Maintenance. Sara Olsen completed nine years of active duty and currently serves in the U.S. Navy Reserves. She is a Ph.D student in the School of Public Health, and is one of the founders of the Crossroads Adaptive Athletic Alliance—a nonprofit designed to increase inclusive fitness for all people with disability. All attendees, including Veterans and their co-workers and families, are invited to be our guests at a buffet lunch in the Memorial Chapel Garden of Reflection and Remembrance. During lunch, attendees are invited to walk the Garden Labyrinth in honor of a Veteran past or present.

A Vigil in honor of Veterans who have died in service to our country will be conducted from noon to 3 p.m. at the front of the Memorial Chapel by UMD Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC detachments.

Among the many other November 2019 UMD events focused on veterans and active duty military are the following.

• “The Weight of Honor” Screening & Panel Discussion on November 13 at 6 pm, is a screening of the first comprehensive documentary to chronicle the lives of families caring for their catastrophically wounded returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring the film's director, Stephanie Seldon Howard, and Timothy Brown, President of Georgetown University's Student Veteran Association and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran.

• UMD’s Military Appreciation Football Game and pregame reception is on Nov. 23, when the Terps take on Nebraska and honor veteran and active duty military personnel with special recognitions throughout the game, including an Armed Forces Salute performed at halftime by the Mighty Sound of Maryland. Game time still to be announced.

• Artists Of Conscience: Veterans, Art & Wellness on Nov. 14 at 7 pm is a discussion at the The Phillips Collection about the impact that art and art therapies can have on the lives of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic-brain injury (TBI), and other combat-related psychological health conditions.

For more information about UMD’s Veterans events or the Terp Vets student organization contact: Veteran Student Life 301-314-0073, David Reese, Coordinator, dmreese@umd.edu.