UMD Celebrates, Honors Veterans During Veterans Week and All Year

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 UMD’s Veterans Week, which this year runs from November 2 - 12.

David Reese, Coordinator for the Office of Veteran Student Life and US Army Veteran, stated: “Life in the military can be heavy and full of responsibilities and stressful obligations. It is a brave and often difficult decision to step away from the military and embark on a new journey. The goal through all of the planned events this coming week is to give our student veterans a chance to have fun, celebrate their transition to being a student, and get to know the UMD community. I want to encourage the focus of Veteran’s Week to be not just thanking veterans for their service, but getting to know them, getting to know their story, having a conversation. That’s the best way we can support them and welcome them back into the community.”

The week’s most prominent event is UMD’s Veterans Day Service in the university's beautiful Memorial Chapel. Usually held on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), this year’s service is on Friday, November 9 from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. Other great 2018 Veterans Week events include: a pre-game Veterans Reception and an honoring of Veterans during Saturday’s Terp Home “Blackout” football game against Michigan State University; Rucking Wednesday, an opportunity for camaraderie among Veterans and supporters during a backpack hike (no forced march) around campus; a Thursday Networking Social Event; a Saturday joint Service Project with The Mission Continues, Veteran Student Life, BAE Systems, and Sasha Bruce Youthwork; and a group trip to a Capitals Hockey Game. See the week’s full lineup of activities here.

The Veterans Day Service will feature remarks from Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement and personal ​stories of military service from two Veterans with extensive ties to the UMD community: U.S. Navy Veteran and current UMD student Sara Feret, and U.S.Army Veteran and UMD alumnus Michael G. Moore.

In the Navy, Feret worked with ballistic missile defense monitoring as a cryptological technician, and she is currently a UMD senior majoring in kinesiology. She volunteers as executive vice president for the TerpVets student organization. Watch her TerpVets video here.

After graduating from UMD in 1968, Moore completed Infantry Officer Candidate School in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division General Staff, working on the Nuclear Release Authentication System. He followed his army service with more than 40 years of public service with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).He was a recipient of the Army Commendation Medal, the EPA Distinguished Career Service Award, four EPA Bronze Medals, and EPA’s Office of Research and Development’s Statesmanship Award. Moore currently serves as a Commissioner for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs and on Senator Chris Van Hollen’s Uniformed Service Academy Advisory Board.

The Veterans Day Service also will feature classic military songs and other stirring music by MannerMusik, Vintage Voices, the Mighty Sound of Maryland and others; as well as reflection and remembrance activities, including the lighting of an Honor Candelabra, the reading of names of 120 UMD Veterans who have died in the past year, and multifaith reflections.

A buffet lunch on the Garden Chapel Patio will follow the service in the Chapel. During lunch, attendees are invited to walk the Garden Labyrinth in honor of a Veteran past or present.

In addition, 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.

"It is important that we celebrate the service and outstanding contributions of our Veterans to the nation and our community," said UMD Veterans Day Planning Committee Chair Denise McHugh, Memorial Chapel manager. "We are thrilled and deeply honored to continue the tradition of honoring that service through this event and other activities on campus."

On Veterans Day, Sunday Nov. 11, Memorial Chapel will participate in Bells of Peace, with the ringing of the Chapel bells at 11 am to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

For more information about UMD’s Veterans Week and Veterans Day events or the Terp Vets student organization contact: Veterans Student Life 301-314-0073, vet student life@umd.edu, or http://stamp.umd.edu/vsl.