Marchers walked tall in the rain last Thursday as they paraded from Chase Hall to the Memorial Rock outside of Rockwell Hall. The flyover that had been planned for the event was cut due to operational commitments of the U.S. Air Force.
Once at the rock, Julia Smith sang a rendition of the National Anthem and the color guard stood at attention behind an orange tent while speakers captivated a sizeable audience of their experiences with the military.
“We are not victims, we are warriors. Save your sympathy for someone who needs it. All we require is a simple ‘Thank you,'” said Marine Corps student veteran Nathan Rey.
The speakers included Hal Payne, Col. Mark P. Murphy and the Rev. Renita Shadwick.
The flags placed around the Memorial Rock had much military symbolism. They were arranged in a triangle in rows of 13, which represents the 13 colonies, 13 stripes on the flag and also the number of folds in a flag. Altogether there were 169 miniature American flags on display to represent the fallen from Buffalo State, 38 of whom were involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn.
At the end of the ceremony, the Rev. Shadwick gave a closing prayer, then came a moment of silence and ended with Ryan Awayda performing “Taps.”