Dartmouth’s week of events in honor of Veterans Day begins Friday and includes a formal military retreat and drill ceremony conducted by Dartmouth ROTC, a remembrance breakfast at the Hanover Inn, the fourth annual Veterans Day banquet, and a ceremony to dedicate the monuments to Dartmouth service men and women at Memorial Field.
Dartmouth ROTC members lower the flag during the 2013 formal retreat ceremony on the Green. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
“Dartmouth is extremely proud to honor the veterans in our community who have served our nation and defended its people and freedoms,” says President Phil Hanlon ’77. “Over the course of our history, each generation has faced its own set of challenges, and we pause to reflect on the men and women in our armed forces who have made many sacrifices to protect our way of life. Please join me in thanking our veterans for their extraordinary service for all of us.”
The renovated Memorial Field will be the site of a rededication to Dartmouth veterans from World War I to the present on Friday, Nov. 6. Memorial plaques from all over campus have been moved to the stadium for display beside the original World War I marker, along with a new memorial sculpture to all Dartmouth men and women who have served their country. The new monument was commissioned by Sphinx, a Dartmouth senior society.
Nathan Bruschi ’10 from the Dartmouth Uniformed Service Alumni (DUSA), President Emeritus James Wright, and Pete Frederick ’65 of Sphinx will deliver remarks at the West Field Stands at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6.
Dartmouth veterans’ organizations will hold the fourth annual military-style banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Collis Common Ground. The guest speaker is Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families Inc., an organization focused on helping military family members join with civilian communities and leaders to address the challenges of military life. In addition, DUSA will present Rand Beers ’64 with the third annual James Wright Award for Distinguished Service.
Wright also appears as a contributor and narrator in the new Ric Burns documentary Debt of Honor: Disabled Veterans in American History, premiering nationally on PBS Tuesday, Nov. 10.
At 7 p.m. Friday, the Class of 1964 will present the second annual Outstanding Leadership Award to Nate Fick ’99, a retired Marine Corps infantry and reconnaissance officer, author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer, and a member of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees since 2012. The citation recognizes Fick for his lifetime of leadership and for “teaching others what it takes to be an effective leader.” The reception will be hosted by the Class of 1964, Dartmouth College Athletics, and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences.
Additional events honoring veterans:
Honor the Heroes at the 240th Marine Corps Birthday Ball: Sunday, Nov. 8, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Hanover Inn. The Annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball celebrates the 240th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps. The guest of honor is Master Gunnery Sgt. Warren Coughlin.
Project VetCare Annual Veteran’s Symposium: Monday, Nov. 9, and Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hanover High School. Project VetCare coordinates veterans from Dartmouth and the community to speak to students at Hanover High School.
Veterans Day Reveille Ceremony: Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 6:30 to 6:45 a.m. on the Dartmouth Green. The ceremony will be conducted by the Dartmouth ROTC.
Veterans Day Remembrance Breakfast: Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the grand ballroom of the Hanover Inn. The breakfast honors staff, faculty, and student veterans at Dartmouth. It is hosted by Scot Bemis, chief human resources officer. Colors will be provided by the Hanover Fire Department.
Armistice Bells: Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on the Green. At 11:11 a.m., the Baker Bells will play the military service hymns to mark a community-wide moment of observation commemorating Veterans Day and the end of WWI.
Veterans Day Retreat & Drill Ceremony: Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. on the Green. The formal drill and retreat ceremony, conducted by the Dartmouth ROTC, will follow the playing of the Service Hymns by the Baker Bells.
Veteran Benefits Fair: Thursday, Nov. 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Collis 101. Meet vocational rehabilitation counselors from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Manchester Regional Office, and representatives from White River Junction VA Medical Center.
Screening of the film Armadillo: Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center. The Dartmouth Uniformed Veterans Association (DUVA) will present a screening of Armadillo, a documentary about the experiences of Danish troops’ combat missions in Afghanistan. Following the film, DUVA members will answer questions about the Afghanistan war broadly, and their own experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. The film is in Danish with English subtitles. The event is free and open to the public.
