Monmouth University To Honor Fallen Soldiers

Monmouth University has joined a nationwide grass-roots effort to honor American service men and women who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past decade.

On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, campus and community volunteers at Monmouth University and more than 100 college and universities across the nation will read the names of the 6,200-plus casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF), now called Operation New Dawn. The Roll Call will be held at the university's Rebecca Stafford Student Center from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with a moment of silence at 2 p.m.

One hundred and fifty-seven schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have agreed to participate in the event.

Lt. Col. (Ret) Brett Morris, the National Roll Call coordinator, said, “We wanted to rally campus communities across the nation to send a powerful message to the troops currently serving that their peers have not forgotten their sacrifices, or those of the fallen.”

“We love our freedom in America, but every now and then we need to stop to reflect and honor the memory of those who gave their lives so that we may continue to enjoy that freedom.” said Jeff Hood, the coordinator of veteran services at Monmouth University. 

The reading of the names will take nearly eight hours to complete as readers announce the names in chronological order.

The Monmouth Veterans Association will also march in New York City’s Veterans Day Parade for the second consecutive year. During Military Appreciation Day, Nov. 12, veterans will be honored at the home football game against Albany.

For information about the Monmouth University Roll Call events contact The Office of Veteran Services at 732-263-5258. For more information about the National Roll Call effort, contact Brett Morris at remembrancerollcall@gmail.com or visit va.eku.edu/rollcall to see a list of participating schools.