Viterbo Veterans Day: Hoping to Serve Those Who Serve Us
On November 11, the United States as a whole joined hands in thanking the hard work and service of our veterans. Viterbo University also offered a commemorative service on November 12, in San Damiano Chapel for those who had given their all to serve the country.
This year’s event marked the eighth year in a row the Veterans Associations on campus celebrated the nation’s heroes on this day, and in seemingly the biggest way yet as attendance for the event was higher than it had ever been. The event honored all of America’s branches of service, which proved not only as a thank you to all the attending veterans, but also as a fine educator to those in the audience who had never served and wanted to know more about the different protectors of our nation.
Viterbo’s own Father Conrad was one of many veterans honored at the event. Having served in the Navy for 22 years, he deeply understands the compassionate side of the veterans on their November holiday. He spoke to the beauty that exists in not just all the appreciation they receive, but also in the way the day brings them back together. He is a firm believer of the phrase, “Once a marine, always a marine,” and found the camaraderie of his fellow marines return at an instant. Father Conrad always thought that the media surrounding the military commonly portrayed the “young war hero,” and that the process of joining the military itself was really a “rite of passage that inspires this hero mentality.” Upon reintegrating himself into the veteran community during the Veterans Day weekend, he said, “I was back in my element. I was back in the tale of heroes you hear about.”
Having been in combat himself, Father Conrad knows the hollowing effect it can have. He referred to an old saying that PTSD is when “the body comes home before the soul.” Luckily, Viterbo now offers help to veterans in need. The university does its best to get veterans involved in community service activities, as well as personal recreational activities of their own to keep the mind occupied. They also offer a FOB (forward operating base) in Father Conrad’s office or in the veterans’ lounge in the Reinhart Center for those who require solidarity. To the surprise of many, Viterbo’s campus is home to more veterans than people recognize. According to Father Conrad, it goes unnoticed because, “We’re really quiet about who we are. We just feel that nobody understands us.” The overwhelming number of veterans in the area inspired him to help those that struggled as he did after the emotionally taxing experience of serving in the military.
The service of a veteran should never go unnoticed. Even though Veterans Day is only officially once a year, Viterbo University makes sure to offer support to veterans year-round, ensuring that even in the most isolated of times, no one is alone.