NORFOLK, Va. — As the United States prepares to honor its 19 million military veterans with Veterans Day on Thursday, Norfolk State University paused to salute its students, faculty, staff and alumni who served.
All alumni, faculty, staff and students who are vets were invited to partake in a special luncheon.
"It's important that we remember the sacrifice,” said Lt. Col. Craig Starn, an NSU Army military science professor. “This holiday is not necessarily about those that have passed, but the sacrifices that the families or service members have given, and recognize their efforts to make sure we remain a free country."
NSU has been recognized for being a top 10 military-friendly school and a military-friendly spouse school.
The university is proud of its rich military heritage.
"Part of our mission is our community, and we believe very strongly that the military is a part of our community,” said Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, NSU president. “They make sure we stay safe. And we appreciate the service, the commitment, the growth and the learning that our students had that are ROTC, but also that our alumni come back and share with our students.”
One such alumnus was the day's keynote speaker: Navy Captain Michael Witherspoon, the commanding officer of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
"We have to honor and make sure that those veterans living, those that are still serving, and those that are past service to make sure that they understand that we appreciate the service and sacrifice they made,” he said.
Norfolk State offers both Army and Navy ROTC programs. Additionally, NSU offers a military discount or reduced tuition for active military and veterans.