Honoring Veterans Day
Veterans Day, 2021 – The University of Charleston is proud to support those who have served and continue to serve our nation, including military spouses and Gold Star families. To honor this day and recognize their exceptional contribution to our nation, we offer this message from Dr. John Barnette, MG(Ret):
It is indeed an honor and privilege for me to comment about our nation’s Veterans. Approximately 2% of our country comprises Veterans. That equates to two people out of every 100 to protect and guarantee our freedoms. Since our nation’s inception, they have been willing to sacrifice on behalf of others, with many making the ultimate sacrifice. The honoring of veterans and serving military members at the University of Charleston, located at the Heart of West Virginia, is most fitting.
The University of Charleston is now home to 965 members of our nation’s armed forces and veterans. This number constitutes 1/3 of our fall enrollment. These Vets and serving members are in 42 states and several countries worldwide.
The University’s primary focus and prioritization of the military reflect its core values and the values of the state of West Virginia. West Virginians have served and continue to do our country in more significant numbers per capita than any other state in the union. Dedication and commitment to service are second nature to our military students and our people, as reflected by our state motto, Mountaineers are Always Free. These veterans and serving military members reflect the best, like West Virginia’s own Herschel (Woody) Williams, a Clarksburg native, who was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor as a young Marine for his Heroic actions during World War II and who now is the oldest surviving Medal of Honor recipient.
I believe Veterans Day should be a time not only honoring but recounting the story of everyone who accepted the call of duty. All veterans have a story that should be told, listened to, honored, and remembered. Veterans and service members at the University of Charleston are no different; they must be asked about their stories. They may be reluctant to share and talk because of their humble nature and because of the nature of who they are. However, their stories need to be shared, remembered, and appreciated. We must not let these stories go untold.
Let’s unite, today and every day, to honor our veterans and seek out their stories. We at UC are proud to serve those who serve or have served our country, and it is our honor and privilege to help them meet their educational goals.
Dr. Barnette serves as Associate Dean of the School of Business and Leadership and Professional Development and is a Professor in the Leadership & Professional Development component. He is an Army Major General (RET) and was the CEO of a large behavioral healthcare center for 25 years. He has specialized skill and knowledge in emergency preparedness, disaster response, crisis leadership & behavioral healthcare operations.
Dr. Barnette retired as a traditional National Guardsman holding the rank of Major General. He served as the Commander of the West Virginia Army National Guard. In this role as Commanding General, he was responsible for all operations of the West Virginia Army Guard, including the training and readiness preparation of the Guard units for their wartime and emergency response missions. He was instrumental in the development of the West Virginia National Guard’s homeland security efforts and served as the task force commander in 71 FEMA declared National Emergencies in the State of West Virginia. He also served as a Task Force Commander leading the recovery efforts in Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition to Commanding the West Virginia Army Guard, MG Barnette also served as the Wartime Chief of Staff and G-3 (operations officer) for the Eighth United States Army in Korea. Prior to serving as the G-3(MG Barnette served as the Personnel Officer (G-1) for the Eight United States Army, Korea.