Veterans Day offers us an opportunity to celebrate, to mourn and to reflect. It strikes me, however, that this year is different somehow. Perhaps it is the pending conclusion of the war in Iraq. Perhaps it is the growing understanding of what these men and women bring back with them both in pain and in contributions to our workforce, our colleges and our communities.
As a veteran, I feel keenly the pressures and challenges our returning solders face as they make the transition into civilian life. Our modern soldiers are smart and well-trained. They bring highly honed skills that will benefit employers and communities. However, they need an environment where they can start to translate those warrior skills into skills of peace.
In Massachusetts, community colleges are leading the way in enrolling returning veterans and helping them make those transitions. Quick entry into the workforce is our specialty, and large numbers of veterans are making use of the federal Post 9/11 GI Bill and the commonwealth’s tuition remission benefits to enroll at our colleges.
Awareness on campus
It is worth pointing out that veterans bring much more value to college campuses than they receive. At Bristol Community College (BCC), we have been challenged and moved by our collegewide OneBook project, which is based on The Things They Carried, an acclaimed novel about the Vietnam War by Tim O’Brien. OneBook brings students and faculty from across disciplines to focus on this shared reading and to participate in various lectures and activities. For those who have not been in the service, these activities give everyone an opportunity to learn about the experiences of our veterans. From a silent memorial of empty boots laid on the campus grounds in recognition of the ultimate sacrifice, to the creation of origami cranes as a memorial calling for peace, our BCC family has been honored to hear from our veterans.
Veterans contribute unique skills, experiences to the classroomVeterans Day gives us an opportunity to learn of the horrifying experiences military service can mean. The origins of the day itself stem from our experience in the tragic First World War. Most of us know that the top allied wartime military leaders set the WWI Armistice on the chimerical set piece: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Clever, even cute? I’m afraid not; in roughly the 12 hours between the signing of the agreement (close to midnight on Nov. 10) until the ceasefire, it seems that some 11,000 people in uniform died. Thus, we have another “11”—a gruesome “11”—to add to the 11-11-11 formula.
Among other U.S. units sent into action that morning—when news of the impending armistice was known—were the African-American 92nd Division, the 313th Regiment and the 81st Division (ordered to attack at 10:20 a.m.). Sgt. Henry Gunther of the 313th Regiment, widely regarded as the last American to die in WWI, had his life cut short at 10:59 a.m.—one minute before he could have started planning for his return to civilian life in Baltimore. Although you may not be familiar with this tragic episode, I’m sure you are not surprised that absurdities, blunders and human errors pervade all wars throughout history—as well as courageous acts of heroism and selflessness.
Poignant words
It should be this panorama of war that commands our attention on Veterans Day. Many did not come back; most did. We thank them for their service and what they had to endure, in combat or otherwise.
Veterans help peers achieve their educational goals
In the spirit of this occasion, consider these moving words from Rabbi Roland Gittelsohn, the first Jewish chaplain appointed by the Marine Corps. Through his courageous experiences in 1945 at Iwo Jima, Gittelsohn subsequently delivered a memorial address. He stated: “Here lie officers and men, Negroes and whites, rich men and poor, together…. Here no man prefers another because of his faith or despises him because of his color…Theirs is the highest and purest democracy.”
The rabbi emphasized that we, the living, can enjoy the democracy for which all the KIAs (killed in action) paid the ultimate price. These are moving words. We would all do well to heed them and abide by the spirit and significance of Gittelsohn’s profound message.
Please, if only for a moment, stop to reflect on the multifaceted significance of our national Veterans Day.
Sbrega is president of Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for missions under fire during the Vietnam War. This week, Sbrega was named Veteran of the Year by the New Bedford Veterans Transition House for his commitment to veterans’ services.