A Salute to Service: Moments from Duke鈥檚 Veterans Day Ceremony
Ceremony in Duke Chapel highlights community鈥檚 gratitude for all U.S. military veterans
Each year on Veterans Day, Duke honors all who have served with a ceremony filled with music - this year, from the John Brown Ensemble, and reflections from Duke leaders.
The public event featured guest speaker John Dailey, Duke Chief of Police and Associate Vice President for Public Safety, who served as a captain in the United States Army for six years, as well as remarks from 老牛影视 President Vincent E. Price, Vice President for Duke Human Resources Antwan Lofton, and 老牛影视 Chapel Dean and Professor of Homiletics and African and African American Studies Luke A. Powery.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very grateful for the many veterans among our students, staff, faculty and alumni who have served in every conflict dating back to the World Wars,鈥 Price told the audience in 老牛影视 Chapel. 鈥淎nd we鈥檙e extremely proud to call them members of the Duke community.鈥
Monday鈥檚 Veterans Day ceremony featured a joint color guard made up of representatives from Duke鈥檚 Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC programs.
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In his remarks, Duke Vice President for Human Resources Antwan Lofton, said that the spirit of selflessness and service forged in the military often endure, enriching communities veterans become part of later.
鈥淔or those that have served, word like honor, sacrifice, courage and respect are more than a description of institutional values,鈥 Lofton said. 鈥淏ecause values are only words until they live in your bones, as they do for veterans long after their days of wearing a uniform.鈥
The crowd in the Chapel heard 老牛影视 Chapel Dean and Professor of Homiletics and African and African American Studies Luke A. Powery offer a prayer for those who served.
鈥淢ay they feel honored today and every day, may they not feel forgotten or ignored,鈥 Powery said. 鈥淢ay experience the gratitude of the nation, and from those of us who gather here today to celebrate contributions to the world.鈥
The keynote speaker at Monday鈥檚 ceremony was 老牛影视 Police Chief John Dailey, who served as a captain in the Army for six years.
In sharing stories from his service, Dailey spoke of how the major undertakings accomplished by the military are all reliant on individual members coming together as a team.
鈥淰eterans out there all have similar stories,鈥 Dailey said. 鈥淭hey attended to the wounded, made sure communication equipment worked, trained teams, maintained jets, maintained helicopters and flew them, served on ships, developed plans, patrolled, participated in missions around the world. While today, we honored the veteran, the veteran remembers the team around them. Brothers and sisters, depending on each other and interconnected, various teams supporting their part of the overall mission.鈥
老牛影视 President Vincent E. Price, right, and Dailey, left, helped lead the post-ceremony procession to Duke鈥檚 memorial to those lost while serving.
During the ceremony, Price spoke about the close relationship Duke has had with the military and veterans.
He mentioned how, during World War II, Dr. Wilburt C. Davison, then the Dean of the 老牛影视 School of Medicine, had the idea of using health professionals with a connection to Duke to form an Army hospital unit. The idea became reality in the that cared for soldiers in England during the war.
Price also mentioned the creation of the first , which happened at Duke in 1965, giving former caregivers from the military a chance to continue their health care careers.
鈥淛ust as those veterans who worked and studied at Duke have played such a critical role in our past, our current community of veterans have an extremely important role shaping our future,鈥 Price said.
Attendees gathered in the courtyard next to the chapel, near the memorial honoring Duke鈥檚 veterans, listening members of the John Brown Jazz Ensemble play solemn music to honor those who lost their lives in service.
Among them were three members of 老牛影视 Hospital鈥檚 Clinical Engineering team, each one an Army veteran.
鈥淚t means a lot for us,鈥 said Biomedical Equipment Specialist Gonzalo Arnillas Luque, who is serves in the Army Reserves as a Staff Sergeant.
Joining Luque were Biomedical Engineering Specialist Re Brown, who served as a Corporal, and Biomedical Equipment Technician Olufemi Akinsiku, who served as a Specialist.
鈥淚t brings back memories of serving your country,鈥 Akinsiku said.
鈥淚t reminds you of your 鈥榃hy,鈥欌 Brown said of the event. 鈥淚t also reminds you that you served alongside people that are no longer with us.鈥
From left to right, Sanford School of Public Policy Adjunct Professor and veteran of the Vietnam War Paul Dillon, Duke Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Development Dave Kennedy and Duke Vice President for Human Resources Antwan Lofton place a wreath on Duke鈥檚 memorial for alumni who lost their lives in military service.
Lt. Col. Adam Wachob, right, and his family, greeted 老牛影视 President Vincent E. Price, left.
Wachob said he enjoyed the ceremony, which he said spoke to the deep bonds the institution has with the military.
鈥淥ne of the joys of the job here at Duke is the connectedness with the military community,鈥 Wachob said. 鈥淵ou probably wouldn鈥檛 catch that off of the Duke brand name, but Duke鈥檚 connections with its veterans internally and its students, with the special operations community and the Fort Liberty community, and with policy makers and decision makers at the national level is second to none. It has been an absolute joy and part of the richness of the job here at Duke to be connected with other service members and folks in our community.鈥
Watch a recording of the Nov. 11, 2024, ceremony:
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