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Military Aligned students to host Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday

Nov 07, 2025

St. Bonaventure University’s Military Aligned Students Program (MASP) will host its annual Veterans Day ceremony at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Memorial, located just outside the bookstore entrance to Reilly Center.

U.S. Army Major Brian Walsh, assistant professor of Military Science and head of the university’s ROTC program, will deliver remarks reflecting on service, leadership and the shared Franciscan values that unite the military and St. Bonaventure community.

The ceremony, organized and led by the MASP Student Leadership Team, will include a presentation of colors, a moment of silence, and brief remarks honoring all who have served and continue to serve our nation.

After the ceremony, the campus community is invited to an open house at the newly relocated veterans lounge — now known as The Foxhole — on the north end of the De La Roche Hall basement. Guests are welcome to tour the space, meet student veterans, and enjoy light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

“The Foxhole represents more than just a new lounge,” said Frank Morales, director of Veteran Services. “It’s a space where our veterans and military-aligned students can connect, decompress, and continue the Franciscan mission of community and compassion.”

The Class of 2026 Seneca Battalion ROTC Hall of Fame inductees will also be announced.

Col. Mark Weinerth, ’87, and a pair of Vietnam War veterans, Capt. Rich Burchill, ’66, and Capt. Paul Sekula, ’65, will be formally inducted at a Hall of Fame ceremony in the spring.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1997 by Lt. Col. Frank Martin III, and Captains Rick Trietley and Jim DiRisio to recognize and memorialize accomplished leaders who were influenced by their experiences at St. Bonaventure to a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship.

The Military Aligned Students Program at St. Bonaventure provides support, advocacy and resources for student veterans, active-duty personnel, reservists, ROTC cadets, and military-connected family members. MASP fosters a community of belonging rooted in the university’s Franciscan values of compassion, wisdom, integrity and service.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).