Providing the ceremony’s backdrop were 7,076 American flags, each honoring a service member killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001.

“Behind every flag, there's a face and name and a family member's story,” said Kenny Sheehan, a student veteran at UD and president of BHV. “Just being able to see it — because if you just read a number, 7,076, that might not seem like that many when you think about past wars — but when you see the flag, you just know that that's somebody in the family. It means a lot, and it’s important to take time to reflect on it.”

John Long, executive vice president and chief operating officer at UD and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, gave a brief history of Veterans Day. The holiday was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919, as Armistice Day, in honor of the anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1926, Congress called for an annual observance of the anniversary, and by 1938, it was an official federal holiday. A couple decades later, in 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, as it's currently known today.

“We should celebrate our active duty and our veterans every day, not just one day,” Long said. “I say it all the time: We give up a lot, but we get a lot. I would say my almost 28 years in the Air Force were probably the best almost 28 years of my life. I have made friends that I have for life. I've got experiences that I'll carry for life. I have an appreciation for what this country stands for that maybe others who didn't put on a uniform don't quite have.”

This event is one of many ways the University — which was recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Colleges for Veterans” — seeks to honor those who serve in the military. Perhaps most importantly, student veterans can find a sense of community at UD.

“UD is a great school for veterans for a number of reasons. I think the level and breadth of programs that we offer is very dynamic, we're a well respected university, and veterans who get a degree are able to impact the community as they graduate and as they find employment,” said Cara Lammey, assistant dean of students for veterans and military students. “BHV also does an exceptionally good job of looking out for one another, and caring for one another, and showing up for one another in ways that I don't often see reflected in the general population.”

Like many student veterans, Joseph Laliberte, a senior studying construction engineering and management, described himself as a non-traditional student, but he found a sense of community with BHV.

“A lot of veterans, they're not traditional students, so when they come to school, they don't really fit in or relate to the typical student,” said Laliberte, who has served in the Army for nine years and started at UD in 2019. “I think it's important for veterans to feel welcome, like they fit in. It can be hard sometimes as a non-traditional student, and so to have that sense of community, I think it's pretty important as a veteran just to feel welcomed and knowing that I'm supposed to be here.”

The purpose of BHV is to help service members transition into academic life, support them while they're at UD, and help them find postgraduate employment. It supports military-connected students by hosting events like football tailgates, monthly meetings and the Hoagies with Heroes program, which brings speakers to campus to discuss veterans’ issues.

And while those events are incredibly important, events like the Veterans Day ceremony have a deeper purpose.

“[The flags] are a powerful reminder of the sacrifices the few have made on the behalf of the many in the preservation of our freedoms and our way of life,” Goodman said. “Veterans Day is about giving thanks to those who answered our nation's call, raised their right hand and swore an oath to defend our Constitution in our country in times of both war and peace. I can tell you this University has a proud history of thousands of students and alumni who did just that.”