Hundreds of military students gathered early in the morning on Tuesday for the 11th annual Veterans Day 5K on the SU Quad. Ron Novack is executive director of the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs and says 0630 is a military time they’re very familiar with. He served 33 years active duty in the U.S. Army and retired in 2015 as a Colonel.
“It's a sacred hour of the day when camps posts and stations across the world come together and do physical fitness," he said. "It's just a just a great way to take a moment out of the day. One day a year on November 11th and honor those that have worn the nation's cloth." "And every day at Syracuse University is Veteran’s Day,” said Novack.
Another member of Veterans and Military Affairs Office also present for the event is Dwayne Murray who spent 25 years active duty in the U.S. Army before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2023. He says waking up early on Veteran’s Day is an honor.
“People have served in harsher conditions than today. It’s an opportunity to be reflective and think about that," said Murray. "Surely, we can run for 20 to 30 minutes or however long it takes, knowing and understanding and thinking about some of the sacrifices that our veterans have made, our service members have made in all types of weather conditions," he said.
Following the run, the university annual Veterans Day ceremony was held at Hendrick's Chapel. Syracuse University is the home to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
