Dartmouth Honors Veterans with Ceremonies and Events

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The community comes together to say, “Thank you for your service.”

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Flag raised at Dartmouth on Veterans Day
Dartmouth ROTC holds a formal drill and retreat ceremony on the Green each year as part of the annual Veterans Day observances. (Photo by Eli Burakian ’00)
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In recognition of Veterans Day, Dartmouth is hosting a slate of exhibits and ceremonies to honor military service members. Among the commemorations are the tolling of the Baker Tower bells at the eleventh hour of Nov. 11; a formal flag drill and retreat at sundown on Thursday; and a one-day exhibit at Dartmouth Library’s Rauner Special Collections Library Wednesday displaying photographs, documents, and artifacts from two centuries of Dartmouth veterans, curated by the Dartmouth Student Veterans Association.

“I think Veterans Day is for reaching out to any veteran you know, who was a part of any conflict or not a part of any conflict, and just saying, ‘thank you,’ ” says Dartmouth Student Veterans Association President Ryan Irving ’24, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan. “Just to know that there are people out there who care, and that you’re not forgotten, and your sacrifices are not forgotten—that can go a long way in helping somebody, even just for one day.”

President Philip J. Hanlon ’77 wrote in a Veterans Day message, “On behalf of everyone at Dartmouth, it is an honor to thank the veterans among you for your extraordinary leadership in service to our country and your bravery and dedication to protecting our way of life.”

The Veterans Day Recognition Breakfast takes place at 8 a.m. Thursday at the Hanover Inn Grand Ballroom. The breakfast is hosted by Chief Human Resources Officer Scot Bemis, a retired major in the U.S. Army who earned the Bronze Star for service in Iraq. The guest speaker is Jason Mosel, a Marine veteran and a network engineer for Information, Technology, and Consulting. Mosel also maintains the Dartmouth Veterans’ Employee Resource Network (ERN), sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity.

President Emeritus James Wright, a Marine Corps veteran, will speak in Filene Auditorium Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The program, Veterans Today and the Wars in Which They Have Served, is hosted by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding.

Community members have an opportunity to engage with and honor veterans throughout the week, and Veterans Day buttons to show support will be available at all events and at the front desk of the Office of Human Resources. All events listed are free and open to the public:

  • On Wednesday, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Dartmouth Student Veterans Association will host a one-day exhibit at Rauner Library telling the stories of Dartmouth veterans through artifacts, documents, manuscripts, and pictures.
  • Dartmouth veterans will raise the flag on the Green at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, followed by a walk to the Hanover Inn Grand Ballroom for the Veterans Day Recognition Breakfast. The buffet line opens at 7:45, and the program begins at 8:10. The event is hosted by the Department of Human Resources and features Mosel as keynote speaker. Registration required.
  • The Veterans’ Employee Resource Network is hosting a walk around the Green from 9 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, and Dartmouth veterans will be providing donuts and coffee and offering information on the Veterans ERN community under a tent on the Green.
  • Veterans from Dartmouth and the community will speak at Hanover High School social studies classes Thursday afternoon.
  • On Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m., the Tuck Veterans Club hosts Microbrews and the Military, giving members of the community a chance to engage with veteran students and “ask them anything.”
  • Dartmouth College Athletics is offering veterans free admission to all weekend home games and will be honoring all veterans with special announcements during games.
Bill Platt