The Kennesaw State University ROTC and the KSU Veterans Club sponsored the Veteran’s Day ceremony Wednesday, November 11 to honor all of those who have served in the armed forces.
The ceremony took place in the university rooms in the Student Center and began with Greg Osborne, veterans and financial aid advisor, giving a narrative on war. His speech allowed members of the audience to stand up when their war or conflict was called. The wars ranged from World War II to the War on Terror.
Audience member Raeanna Duck, the transition coordinator of military and veterans services for the Marietta campus, shared her story of being a medic in 2002 for the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.
“Females should join the armed forces because both men and women compliment each other,” Duck said during her speech.
President Daniel S. Papp presented the welcoming remarks.
“Did you ever think about what the word ‘university’ at base means?” Papp said.
He explained the meaning and acknowledged that none of the freedoms that come with the word “university” could be possible without the help of all the service men and women of the United States.
Matthew Foley, student and president of the Veterans Club, introduced the keynote speaker. He gave the audience a sneak peek into the career of Dr. Vincent W. Patton III, retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.
“I’ve met him personally, and he’s a great man,” Foley said.
Patton served as the eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard in the summer of 1998, until his retirement after more than 30 years of Coast Guard service in November of 2002.
He presented to the audience the values of the veteran, which included: honor, respect, duty, courage, commitment, loyalty, integrity, service and excellence. Patton was never supposed to join the Coast Guard. He was to be a part of the Navy and follow in his brother’s footsteps. However, he told the audience that he walked into the wrong recruiting office in 1972, and was too embarrassed to walk out, a moment that changed his life.
Cadet Patrick Maffett, president of ROTC and master of ceremony, facilitated this event.
“The ceremony has been around for 16 years,” said Maffett. “It’s the best way to use the club’s resources in the fall.”
