Dear Fellow Antiochians:
Tomorrow our University and our nation will observe Veterans’ Day, honoring the many people who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces. I invite you to take this day, when Antioch suspends classes and other work, to reflect on the effort and sacrifice of our veterans in service of the common good, freedom, and democracy.
We are honored to count many veterans among our students, our alumni, our faculty, and our staff. To the many veterans in the Antioch community, I thank you for your service on behalf of our entire University.
Not only have many of us served our country this way, but even more of us have a connection—through family or friendship—to veterans. I am inspired by the work that Steve Crandall, a member of our Board of Governors, has done to set up the Bruce and Arlene Crandall Social Courage Award here at Antioch, which directly supports first-year graduate students who have served their nation through the armed forces, the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or other avenues. He named the scholarship in honor of both his mother and his father, Bruce, who famously earned a Medal of Honor for his bravery as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. (Greg Kinnear played him in the film We Were Soldiers.) I deeply appreciate that Steve has chosen to honor his parents by supporting other veterans in their studies here at Antioch. If you want to learn more, we just published an article about the scholarship on Common Thread, which talks more about Bruce and Arlene, the scholarship, and also its first recipient.
Here is a photo of Bruce Crandall receiving the Medal of Honor:
I also want to encourage you to use this holiday as an opportunity to reflect on the importance of peace. The original resolution of Congress making this a national holiday said that November 11 “should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations.” The importance of good will and mutual understanding between nations is as important now as it was in 1926, and I hope you will join me in praying and working for peace in Ukraine, in Yemen, in Ethiopia, in Myanmar, in Syria, all around the globe, and within the borders of the U.S. as well.
I wish you all a peaceful and restful Veteran’s Day.
Sincerely,
Bill
