Continuing a proud history of serving its military community, UNC Wilmington’s Office of Military Affairs will host a celebration ceremony at Veterans Hall on Thursday, Sept. 15 beginning at 3 p.m. at the Allied Health Quad on campus. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

The ceremony will honor several WWII veterans in attendance. Numerous dignitaries from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, military retirees and veterans from all campaigns from WWII to the present are expected to attend. Other guests will include students, members of the Student Veterans Organization, faculty, staff, UNCW Board of Trustees members and local officials.

Guest speakers will include Lieutenant General USMC (ret) Walter Gaskin, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Brigadier General Andrew M. Niebel, Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations East; Dr. Aswani K. Volety, UNCW Chancellor; and Bill Kawczynski, UNCW Director of Military Affairs.

Veterans Hall, a 145,000-square-foot facility, is currently the only building in the United States located on a university or college campus named in honor of all veterans – past, present and future. Most buildings on campuses are named for individuals who attended the school, were employed there or were from the surrounding community.

“It’s in our university’s DNA, since we started as a GI Bill school in 1947, to serve those who have served and their families,” Kawczynski said.

The Office of Military Affairs, located inside Veterans Hall, provides a variety of resources from dedicated faculty, staff and students to serve UNCW military-affiliated students and veterans from southeastern NC and beyond. More than 2,100 military-affiliated students are currently enrolled at UNCW (12% of total enrollment).

The building, uniquely outfitted to educate the nation’s future health care practitioners and scientists, also houses the College of Health and Human Services and faculty and staff from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“We want to make sure the celebration is as memorable for all of our attendees as possible,” Kawczynski said. In honor of the ceremony, there will be a flyover provided by the Bandit Flight Team.

— Krissy Vick

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LINK:  UNCW Military Affairs to Host Celebration at Veterans Hall on Sept. 15