Stockton Announces Veterans Day Program

The Veteran Affairs office at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has planned a full schedule of events and activities to commemorate Veterans Day on November 11, or “11-11-11.”

Starting at 8:30 a.m. Stockton will be participating in the National Roll Call in which more than 50 volunteers including veterans, students, faculty, staff and community members will read the names of military personnel who made the supreme sacrifice in the past 10 years. The reading will begin in Independence Plaza, adjacent to the Campus Center. At 11 a.m. the reading will move inside the Campus Center, resume in front of the fireplace in the Grand Hall and continue throughout the day’s events.

“We are gratified by community response to participate in the National Roll Call,” said Patrick Shields, Stockton’s coordinator of Veteran Affairs.

Stockton’s Veterans Day program is one of the most extensive in Southern New Jersey.  The public is cordially invited to attend and honor the brave individuals who serve our nation.

Following is the schedule of events:

National Roll Call reading

8:30 am: Independence Plaza adjacent to Campus Center near F-Wing.  Moves to Campus Center in the Grand Hall at 11 a.m. and continues to 4:30 p.m.  More than 50 community volunteers will take part in the reading of more than 6,000 names of military personnel who died

in service to our nation.

Activities in front of Campus Center

12 noon: Introductions and welcome by Tom O’Donnell, Assistant Dean of Students/Veteran Affairs at Stockton; remarks by Stephen Gilroy, President of Stockton’s Student Veterans Organization; prayer for military personnel by Stockton Professor Pastor John Quinn.

12:05 pm: Presentation of Colors. Galloway Township Police will conduct the presentation.

12:10 pm: National Anthem. The student singing group Stockapella will sing our National Anthem

12:15 pm: Military Aircraft Fly-over. Members of the 177th Fighter Wing will conduct a fly-over above the campus

12:20 pm: Remarks by Colonel Kerry Gentry, 177th Maintenance Group Commander, 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard

Activities in Independence Plaza

12:30 pm: Dedication of Independence Plaza. Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp, Jr. will officially dedicate Independence Plaza, Stockton’s new courtyard (adjacent to F-Wing) featuring a two-story representation of the Declaration of Independence

12:40 pm: Remarks by Stockton Alumnus, Staff Sergeant Jose Rodriquez of the United States Air Force.

Activities in Veterans Park (Located adjacent to G-Wing)

12:50 pm: Welcome by O’Donnell, remarks by Gilroy and prayers led by Pastor Quinn

12:55 pm:  Letters from Heroes. Student Veterans will read from actual letters from military personnel.

1:00 p.m. Remarks by Patrick M. Kennedy, Colonel, New Jersey Air National Guard

1:10 pm: Laying of Wreath.  Stockton singing group Stockapella will perform as part of this ceremony. 

1:20 pm Colonel Kerry Gentry to present Hometown Heroes Award to Dr. Saatkamp in recognition of the Stockton president’s dedication to student veteran education.