Dear ALVS & CSU Community,

We invite you to join us for our events on Veterans Week (November 6-13, 2021), as we honor, reflect, and remember the sacrifices made by our veteran community. We are especially honored by the amazing contributions of our CSU veteran community as they bring a great value and diversity to the ALVS office and Colorado State University.

The history of Veterans Day reaches back to World War I, as it was originally known as Armistice Day. A day of peace and reflection on the sacrifices made by those who fought in World War I. November 11th marks the conclusion of the “war to end all wars,” but sadly World War II would be larger and more costly. In 1954, President Eisenhower would shift Armistice Day to Veterans Day, to also honor the veterans of World War II and the Korean War.

But wars and sacrifice continued, new memorials have been made, and new traditions honored. I remember the heaviness and deep profound sadness I felt when I visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. Here at CSU, we remember the sacrifice through Roll Call, as we read the names of the over 7,000 soldiers who died since 9/11. This is the 10th anniversary since we first started conducting Roll Call.

While we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we must also continue to honor those who returned. Some came back with physical and mental wounds; some came back and continue to serve their country and communities in new ways; some come home and focus on building a new and better life for themselves and their families. No matter what they are doing today, they were forever impacted, for better or worse, by decision to heed the call and serve the nation. This day is dedicated to their sacrifice as well.

This year we should be especially introspective, as it is not only the 20-year anniversary of 9/11, but we have also brought the war in Afghanistan to an end. To some this may feel like a blessing, and others may find it difficult, but no matter how you see it, it was a prominent aspect of American life for the last twenty years. I hope you take a moment to reflect on the impacts that war has had on the veterans who have served, and the ways in which it has transformed our nation, as I know many of the veterans who served in them will be.

We hope you will join us for our events on Veterans Week. We will open with a community service day, host workshops, showcase resources for our veterans, conduct the National Roll Call on Veterans Day, and cap it off with our Military Appreciation Tailgate and CSU Football game against Air Force. We look forward to having you join us as we honor our veterans, you can find a list of our events here.

ALVS Director, Ben Schrader