The annual flag display pays tribute to the over 7,000 U.S. military service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since Sept. 11, 2001.

Veterans Day 2024

Article by Meghan Keating Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and Evan Krape November 11, 2024

UD honors veterans and families with annual flag display and ceremony

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 6, a group of University of Delaware students, staff and volunteers was barely visible on the Newark campus as they descended upon The Green with coffee cups, measuring tape and 7,088 small American flags in hand. When classes and typical foot traffic were in full swing a few hours later, the grass was covered in a uniform sea of red, white and blue.

The impressive visual is the handiwork of Armed Forces Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Air Force and Army students, staff and members of the Blue Hen Veterans (BHV) registered student organization. An annual Veterans Day week tradition since 2002, it pays tribute to the over 7,000 U.S. military service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since Sept. 11, 2001.

The flags served as a backdrop the following morning, Nov. 7, as a crowd of UD leadership, faculty, staff, students, community members and guests came together outside Memorial Hall for the “Flags on the Green” ceremony presented by the UD Biden Institute in partnership with the Division of Student Life and BHV. The annual event featured a keynote address from U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, a U.S. Navy veteran, and honored those who have served and their families before Veterans Day, observed on Monday, Nov. 11.

Armed Forces Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Air Force and Army students, staff and members of the Blue Hen Veterans (BHV) registered student organization (RSO) installed 7,088 flags for this year’s display.

Blue Hen connections

BHV president and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Miles Inter-Combs welcomed those in attendance, followed by a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed by Kelsey Stone, a senior media communications major.

A registered student organization and the official Student Veterans of America chapter at UD, BHV connects veterans of the Armed Forces, Armed Forces Reserve and the ROTC and their families through fostering a sense of community on campus. In September, UD was again recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Colleges for Veterans among National Universities” for 2025.

U.S. Army veteran Ken Jones, a 1980 graduate of UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and Blue Hen Veterans and Friends (BHVF) president, delivered introductory remarks for Carper, whom he’s known since 2000. BHVF, which Jones helped form eight years ago, supports current U.S. Military service members, veterans and ROTC cadets seeking an education at UD through various networking, professional development and fundraising efforts.

U.S. Army veteran and Blue Hen Veterans and Friends (BHVF) president Ken Jones delivered introductory remarks at the Nov. 7 “Flags on the Green” Ceremony.

Jones first met then-Governor Carper after winning a lunch at the Governor’s Mansion in Dover at a school fundraiser for his children, recalling his kindness and sense of humor and their immediate connection as veterans and UD alumni.

“To this day, on occasion when I see him, rather than call him Senator, I honor him by calling him Captain,” said Jones in a nod to Carper’s rank at his time of retirement from the Naval Reserve in 1991.

'This is where it started…'

Carper, a native of West Virginia, attended Ohio State University on a Navy ROTC scholarship, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor of arts in economics. After completing five years of service as a naval flight officer, including three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, he went on to earn his MBA in 1975 from Lerner College.

In his 48-year career in public service, Carper served three terms as Delaware state treasurer, five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms as governor of Delaware before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001. Currently serving his final term, Carper is the last Vietnam War veteran serving in the U.S. Senate.

His Delaware story began by happenstance in 1973.

“I was wrapping up my active duty time and wanted to go to graduate school, and I called my best friend in the Navy,” he recalled of the fellow flight officer who had already separated from the Navy and was living in Baltimore at the time. While visiting schools on the east coast, Carper paid a visit to his old friend who offered to give him a ride up to Newark, Delaware, to visit UD.

He recalled the kindness and support of those he met with that day, also taking a moment to recognize a former professor and mentor in attendance, Don Puglisi, MBNA America Professor of Business Emeritus.

United States Senator from Delaware and U.S. Navy veteran Tom Carper is the last Vietnam War veteran serving in the U.S. Senate.

The Delaware way

Carper quickly recognized how little support veterans received in health services at that time.

“I vowed then and there that if I ever had the chance to do something about it, I would,” he said.

In the decades since, Delaware’s resources for veterans have grown in both quality and quantity, with health clinics in all three counties and a veterans home located in Milford, Sussex County.

Carper also recognized how far supports and opportunities have come for women veterans in particular, citing Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the top ranking officer in the United States Navy as current Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) and first woman to serve as a service chief and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the U.S. Department of Defense.

Carper ended the ceremony by calling attention to another important day, the fast-approaching 237th anniversary of when Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787.

“This is where it started,” he said, a statement that also applies to his own career and journey.

Attendees recited the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in honor of the upcoming 237th anniversary of when Delaware became the first state to ratify the document on Dec. 7, 1787.

Year-round opportunities for veterans

Current military-affiliated UD students are encouraged to consider running for an executive position with BHV,, with voting scheduled for Nov. 18. All BHV executive officers can attend the SVA National Conference planned for January 2025 in Colorado Springs. Candidate submissions are open until Thursday, Nov. 14.

Plans to form a Diversity Caucus for Veterans are also underway with the goal of fostering a sense of community, resource sharing and advocacy for the unique needs of military-connected UD faculty and staff. Those interested are encouraged to complete an interest form.

Blue Hen Veterans connects veterans of the Armed Forces, Armed Forces Reserve and the ROTC and their families through fostering a sense of community at UD.

Resources and support for UD’s veterans

The University of Delaware understands the commitment and sacrifices military members and their families make during their time of service. Staff and faculty at the University are committed to helping student veterans and military service members in their transition from military to college life. Visit the Student Veterans web page for more information.