In a small ceremony on the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 26, the flags in front of the National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC) at the Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello building were permanently raised by individual Syracuse University students, alumni and staff. In recognition of the service on behalf of Indigenous men and women—who historically have served in the military at a rate higher than almost any other segment of the U.S. population—Onondaga Nation Tadodaho Sidney Hill attended the flag raising ceremony and offered a traditional “Thanksgiving Prayer.”
The NVRC ceremony was held in accordance with New York State and Syracuse University COVID-19 health guidelines.
Photos by Steve Sartori and Jeremy Brinn.
Joe Henneberry, a U.S. Air Force veteran and corporate support representative at WAER, plays the trumpet during the ceremony.
University students and staff practice social distancing as they observe the flag raising.
Syracuse University ROTC cadets prepare to raise the American flag.
Dr. Ruth Chen, Chancellor Kent Syverud, Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie, Onondaga Nation Tadodaho Sid Hill, Onondaga Marine Corps veteran Jerome Waterman Jr. and Sam Babcock, the last living Onondaga Nation WWII veteran, gather to witness the NVRC flag raising.
Onondaga Nation Tadodaho Sid Hill offers the traditional “Thanksgiving Address.”
Syracuse University ROTC cadets prepare to raise the American flag.
The Haudenosaunee flag is raised by Onondaga Marine Corps veteran and Syracuse University 2020 alumna Suzanne Hill.
Nick Armstrong, a U.S. Army veteran and senior director for research and evaluation at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, raises the Syracuse University flag. Armstrong, an M.P.A. and Ph.D. graduate of the Maxwell School, was the first student veteran to attend Syracuse using the post-9/11 GI Bill.
The flags flying before the NVRC represent the University’s deep connection to the Indigenous lands, its commitment to veteran service and its pursuit of knowledge.
Dr. Ruth Chen, Sam Babcock, the last living Onondaga Nation WWII veteran, and Chancellor Kent Syverud pose at the event. Indigenous men and women like Babcock have historically served in the military at a rate higher than almost any other segment of the U.S. population.
