St. John's Honors Veterans of Past and Present Conflicts

This past Veteran's Day St. John's University continued its tradition of honoring the brave men and women in uniform who have served our country. The knowledge that there were soldiers in harms way both in Iraq and Afghanistan gave these solemn ceremonies, held on both the Queens and Staten Island campuses, a special importance.

Director of Community Relations Joseph Sciame told St. John's Monthly that over 200 people gathered near the flagpole on the Queens campus (including 75 veterans) for a ceremony that featured New York City Councilman James Gennaro as keynote speaker. New York State Assemblyman Mark Weprin was also in attendance.

Following the ceremony the veterans were invited to a lunch at Council Hall hosted by the Office of Community Relations. There they heard a speech about recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor from Tina Haemmerle, (SJU '62) President of the New York State Commission of Social Justice of the Order Sons of Italy in America. She presented a video about 24 Italian Americans who gave their lives and praised their efforts to defend this country.

At the Staten Island Campus Lee Covino from the Office of the Borough President presented the University community with a proclamation for their efforts in support of the veterans, and New York State Assemblyman Matthew Mirones was the keynote speaker. Following the ceremony a breakfast was held in honor of those veterans in attendance, and Mr. Sciame observed that they shared "a nice camaraderie" with students.

At each campus, the names of all those who have perished in the Iraq War from the New York-New Jersey area were read. Students from the Staten Island campus created a felt banner on which all those names and photos were recorded.  Commanding Officer of St. John's University ROTC Major Timothy Walker spoke at both campus ceremonies. Mr. Sciame called his speech "tremendous" and noted that Major Walker is a veteran of the Iraq war himself.

"These brief ceremonies recall for our students the sacrifices of these men and women and the virtue of service to our country," Mr. Sciame observed. As a University administrator and veteran himself, Mr. Sciame was happy that so many students came to show their support. "We can be proud as a University that we are not forgetting our veterans."