Serving each other this Veterans Day

A Veterans Day message from Air Force veteran and 密歇根州立大学丹佛 President 珍妮·戴维森博士.D.

11月. 11, 2021

今天是退伍军人节, a day to pause and honor the millions of men and women who have served our armed forces. It is a day when those of us who have served are thanked formally and informally by government officials, 权威人士, friends and family for doing something that for many of us felt perfectly natural – the honor of serving our country.

Yet because our armed forces are based on the principle of civilian control, this gratitude and respect is not something we take for granted. Indeed, it is foundational to the strength and resilience of our democracy. This delicate relationship between our country’s armed forces and the civilians they serve is why I am so dedicated to serving our veteran students and helping them make their transition from uniform to their next adventures.

Having veterans as well as 预备役人员 and active military members on our campus pursuing their degrees, along with so many faculty and staff members who are also veterans, enriches our diverse community and is a reminder of what we can accomplish if we pause to get to know each other and work together.

I am extremely proud that so many veterans choose 密歇根州立大学丹佛 to learn, teach and work. I want to recognize the more than 1,000名退伍军人, 预备役人员, and active duty military members among our students, faculty and staff who have served in Vietnam, 巴尔干半岛, 海湾战争, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. You have my respect and my gratitude. 对那些伴侣, child or other family member is a veteran or is currently serving our country: Thank you for your sacrifices and supporting those who serve. You and your families embody the highest of values: duty, 纪律, 目的, 承诺, courage and service before self.

These values resonate for me now more than ever as we continue to grapple with the immense challenges facing our communities, 皇冠官网网站的国家和世界. We have faced grave challenges and internal division before, and this day is a reminder of what we can overcome.

We mark Veterans Day every 11月. 11 because the major hostilities of the first World War officially ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, ending the “war to end all wars.” The war took nearly 20 million civilian and military lives, and millions more were wounded. Our great- and great-great grandparents faced these epic challenges at the same time the world was reeling from the Great Pandemic, which took an additional 50 million lives. This history is tragic, but it is also a reminder of our collective capacity for resilience.

So, in addition to thanking our veterans for their service today, it is my hope that we take this moment to pause and consider how deciding to serve others and living for a cause greater than oneself – values that are embedded in the fabric or our military and our nation – might fuel our efforts to overcome our differences and face today’s great challenges together.

To all our veterans: Thank you for your service and your continued dedication to our democracy.

真诚地,

珍妮·戴维森博士.D.
丹佛州立大学校长