Veterans Day Offers a Moment to Honor Those who Serve

Veterans Day in the U.S. provides an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, including the millions of service men and women, from all military branches who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend freedom.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Nov. 10, 2020) – Each Nov. 11, our nation honors the commitment of those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. While other November dates such as Election Day, Thanksgiving and perhaps even ‘Black Friday’ are also ingrained in the public consciousness, Veterans Day provides an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, including the millions of service men and women, from all military branches who paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend freedom.

Among them, Joseph Theinert, a 2008 University at Albany graduate who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. Theinert, a member of the New York Army National Guard, left a note on a picture album found by his brother, with words that ring true for many who volunteer today: "There is nothing glorious about war, but I will go to it to keep the people I love away from it. 9/11 – never forget."

A History of Global Conflict

James J. Cassidy, a 1930 and 1933 graduate of what was then the New York State College for Teachers, served in the weather service for the U.S. Army during World War II.

Veterans Day, formerly ‘Armistice Day,’ originally recognized the end of combat in World War I, known at the time as the ‘Great War.’ Twenty years later, a global conflict again erupted, in a scale far greater and more devastating than the first. As the Nazis launched a massive invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, Americans watched from an ocean away in horror, hoping that the conflict would not put our soldiers in harm’s way once again.

All of that changed with the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Imperial Japan on Dec. 7, 1941.  Students at UAlbany – then known as the New York State College for Teachers – signed up to serve just as their peers did around the country.

UAlbany alumni heeded the call as well, including James J. Cassidy, ’30, ’33, a meteorologist in civilian life who was tasked with organizing the weather service at the Rome air depot and Syracuse bomber base. Cassidy, who was 41 and a father of four when the U.S. entered the war, was far from the only older recruit who served during the conflict.

UAlbany’s Commitment to Service

Louis C. Jones, a professor at State College during the war, wrote circular letters to the students and graduates who were fighting overseas. His letters are now part of a larger effort led by the UAlbany Alumni Association called The Veterans Project. The project is designed to honor the sacrifice and contributions of UAlbany veterans and peacekeepers and to keep alive the long history of military service of alumni, faculty, staff and students.

For UAlbany, it’s a history that reaches as far back as the Mexican-American War and continues today with the veterans who serve in the defense of freedom around the world. This includes many guards and reservists who have been activated to assist with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

For military members past and present, Veterans Day takes on added meaning, understanding that service is far more than a job, but a way of life.

“The Air Force gave far more to me than I to ‘it’ and helped me change the cycle of education and poverty as it does for many,” said Joel Davis, who serves as assistant dean in Office of the Dean of Students and manages the veteran and military service program at UAlbany. He is among many veterans who entered service fields upon their return from active duty, including educators, medical providers and police officers.

Davis, who served on active duty from 1982-2003 and retired as a Master Sergeant, notes the courage of those who came before him as well, including the many UAlbany veterans of the “greatest generation” who paid the ultimate price during World War II.

This sentiment is relayed poignantly by U.S. presidents past and present, including Ronald Reagan in 1985 – himself a World War II veteran – and Barack Obama in 2016.

“We come together to express our profound gratitude for the sacrifices and contributions you and your family made on the battlefield, at home, and at outposts around the world,” said Obama during the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. “But America’s gratitude to our veterans is something always grounded in something greater than what you did on duty.  It's also an appreciation of the example that you continue to set after your service has ended -- your example as citizens.”

To support or add content to the Veterans Project, contact the Alumni Association, Attention: Veterans Project, at [email protected].

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