Stanford salutes veterans
This Veterans Day, events honor the men and women on campus and across the nation who serve and protect America.
A wreath in Memorial Court. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)
This Veterans Day, Stanford is paying tribute to the men and women who serve and protect the nation.
“Today, we honor our nation’s veterans, those who have served in our military and sacrificed to secure our peace,” wrote President Richard Saller in a letter to the Stanford community that is placed today alongside wreaths at Memorial Auditorium and Memorial Court.
Today, the Stanford community includes military veterans; active-duty service members; members of the National Guard and Reservists; children, spouses, and parents of veterans and service members; as well as ROTC cadets. In his letter, Saller noted that Stanford community members, including alumni, have served in every major conflict in United States history since the Spanish-American War.
“To all of our veterans, thank you for your service and your patriotism,” he wrote.
To recognize their courage and contributions to the nation, the Stanford community is invited to events today and Saturday, both on- and off-campus.
In addition to observing the wreaths and President Saller’s letter, Memorial Auditorium will be open today from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for viewing memorial plaques in the lobby that commemorate the 406 service members affiliated with Stanford who died in service to the country in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The community is invited to the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) Veterans Day Coffee Conversation to honor the veteran community. Shane Hale, program manager at the Office for Military-Affiliated Communities (OMAC) will discuss the veteran population at Stanford, and Chuck Litchfield, the SDSS senior associate dean and chief operating officer, will discuss the history of veterans on campus. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to noon on the Mitchell Earth Sciences Building Patio. Food and drinks will be provided.
On Saturday, Nov. 11, Stanford and the City of Palo Alto will host a Veterans Day Celebration. Now in its second year, the free and public event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, Building 101 in the Edward Stallings Auditorium.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran Hayden Shelden, ’26, will serve as master of ceremonies. President Saller and Palo Alto Mayor Lydia Kou will deliver remarks, and U.S. Army Col. (ret.) Patty Wernet, president of the California Military Officers Association of America, will deliver the keynote address.
“This celebration is a beautiful opportunity for Stanford affiliates and the local community to support our veterans by recognizing their service and sacrifice,” said Shelden. “The ceremony will be refreshing yet steeped in tradition. It’s an honor to pay tribute to the service-members of our community, and we hope you’ll join us in doing so.”
In the evening, Stanford’s Office of Military-Affiliated Communities (OMAC) will host a Veterans Day Reception to commemorate the service of Stanford community members. Joel Johnson, ’22, MS ’23, MBA candidate, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will serve as master of ceremonies. Joe Felter, founding member and director of Stanford’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, will deliver remarks.
The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Stanford Faculty Club and is open to Stanford students, fellows, alumni, faculty, and staff with military affiliations.