Veteran’s Day and the week that surrounds it hold special meaning at Campbell University, a school with a rich military history dating back 55 years. The University will celebrate that bond with a series of events starting with Military Appreciation Day at Saturday’s football game and ending with a tribute in the Academic Circle Wednesday morning and a dinner honoring student veterans and active duty members that evening.
On Jan. 28, 1971, President Norman Adrian Wiggins chartered the University’s first ROTC program at a time (during the Vietnam War) when other campuses across the country distanced themselves from the armed forces. Five years later, Campbell added a satellite campus at Fort Bragg, today the largest Army base in the country. And in 1987, Campbell established another campus at the Marine Corps Air Station in New River, which was later moved to the Marcine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune.
Today, Campbell is the top private university in North Carolina for supporting military service members, veterans and their families, according to the Military Times. Campbell has been among the nation’s “Military Friendly” universities by Victory Media and one of the “best universities for veterans” by the Military Times.
The following events will be part of the University’s celebration of those who served and continue to serve their country.
MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY
Saturday’s 1 p.m. football game pitting the nationally ranked Campbell Fighting Camels and the Stony Brook Seawolves will commemorate Military Appreciation Day, presented by McDonald’s.
The celebration will begin with a “Tailgating Meet & Mingle” at Tailgate Town from 11 a.m. until kickoff. Free food will be available for all current VA students, alumni and families. Free game tickets can be found at vettix.org.
The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band will perform a patriotic halftime show during the game.
VETERANS DAY TRIBUTE
Campbell’s Academic Circle will be the site of a Veterans Day Tribute at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.
Following the posting of colors by Campbell University’s ROTC students, and the National Anthem and special music from Campbell’s Brass Ensemble, President William M. Downs will speak and introduce Chief Warrant Officer (ret.) and Campbell alumnus Jimmy R. Platter Sr., who will serve as the main speaker.
Plater retired after a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Army, obtaining the rank of CW5, the highest rank for warrant officers serving as master-level experts in the specialized field of logistics. Plater spent the last 15 years of his career in Special Operations.
In 2015, he founded Extension Enterprise Group LLC, based in Fayetteville. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Accommodation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and several more honors, and he is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne and Air Assault Schools.
He earned his Master of Business Administration in global supply chain management from Portland State University, a Master of Science in international relations from Webster University, and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Campbell.
OPERATION GREEN LIGHT
The columns at D. Rich will be lit in green through Nov. 11 to honor Veterans Day and to participate in Operation Green Light.
The National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers have invited the nation’s 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs to join them in showing support for veterans by lighting buildings green from Nov. 4-11. By shining a green light, county governments and residents are letting veterans know that they are “seen, appreciated and supported.”
VETERANS DAY DINNER
Campbell University Adult & Online Education and its Department of Veterans Affairs will host a Veterans Day dinner for faculty, staff and student veterans and active duty members on Nov. 11 in the Oscar N. Harris Student Union.
According to AOE Dean (and U.S. Navy veteran) Nicole Winget, approximately 30 attendees are expected.
“It is a gathering of faculty, staff, student and alumni veterans to break bread together, celebrate Veterans Day and start to build a network of mentorship for both students and Campbell employees,” she said. “The hope is this is the first step in forming a more official network through Campbell so that we can help best serve our military affiliated populations.”
Director of Veterans Affairs Amanda McRae expressed gratitude to Winget for putting on the event and for her work with Campbell veterans since joining the University in 2015.
“She does incredible work balancing her many responsibilities while continuously finding ways to strengthen our veteran community and foster meaningful connections among our military-affiliated students, faculty, staff and alumni,” McRae said. “I am truly excited about this inaugural event and the opportunities it creates to increase veteran awareness, engagement and camaraderie across Campbell.”
AMERICA’S 250TH CELEBRATION
Campbell’s Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony will recognize Veterans Day with its “America’s 250th Celebration” concert at 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 in the Hobson Performance Center.
The performance will feature more than 140 musicians, according to Dr. Dwayne Wilson, Division of Fine Arts chair and associate professor of music.
“The audience will recognize works like ‘America The Beautiful,’ ‘God Bless the USA’ and the rousing march, ‘Semper Fidelis,’” he said. “The night will include a special work, ‘For Our Heroes,’ to honor all those who serve and the Army Band’s arrangement of ‘Salute to Service,’ featuring all the military branch theme songs.”