A Commitment To Serving Those Who Served
November 11, 2024
To the Stony Brook University Community,
Last week I received an article that immediately caught my attention. The headline read, “A Beacon of Support for Veteran Students,” and the article highlighted comprehensive programs customized to support the unique needs of veterans and military-connected students as well as their notable contributions to campus life. What a proud moment it was to see Stony Brook acknowledged for the exceptional work of our Office of Military and Veteran Student Services. Today on Veterans Day as we recognize those who have served our nation, we also reflect on how we can continue to build our legacy supporting veterans across our campus and throughout the communities we serve.
Stony Brook first established what was then called the Veterans Affairs Office in 1973. I imagine those responsible for opening the office would be deeply honored to see the evolution of their work more than fifty years later to include a campus Veterans Center that provides a physical hub of connection and belonging as well as a Veteran Students Organization focused on mentoring and service.
In its early years, the office helped student veterans navigate the educational benefits provided in the GI Bill of Rights. Stony Brook’s founding during the post-war years addressed the increased demand for higher education that resulted from the GI Bill that was created to assist veterans in their transition from military service after they returned home to uncertain futures following World War II. This past June marked 80 years since the passage of the GI Bill, which continues to play a role in advancing the upward mobility of Stony Brook students from all backgrounds by making a college degree affordable and accessible.
In addition to our many student and employee veterans who served our country, our campus is the proud home of the Long Island State Veterans Home that cares for veterans, their spouses and widows and Gold Star parents. A model of excellence among the nation’s 168 state veterans homes, it is a major teaching affiliate of Stony Brook Medicine and one of the only nursing homes nationally that is fully integrated into the health and educational mission of a major teaching and research university.
As a flagship university that believes wholeheartedly in creating new knowledge and the benefits that knowledge brings to society, I am confident Stony Brook will continue to grow its legacy in support of veterans. Today on Veterans Day, we acknowledge and salute all veterans, including our students, faculty, staff and healthcare workers, for their service to our nation. As November is also National Veterans and Military Families Month, we recognize with gratitude the families, caregivers and friends whose love and support are exceedingly meaningful to active-duty members of the military. To those in the Stony Brook campus community who every day serve those who served, your commitment is noticed and appreciated. Thank you for all you do for Stony Brook.
Sincerely,
Richard L. McCormick
Interim President