Tar Heel Tribute honors those who served
University and state leaders gathered to thank military veterans in the Carolina community.
On Oct. 30, more than 80 retired and active military veterans gathered for the Tar Heel Tribute. The event, hosted by the Division of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity and Compliance and the Carolina Veterans Resource Center, honored the University’s service members and thanked them for their contributions to Carolina and the country.
Brandi Flickinger, senior leave administration manager in the Office of Human Resources, sang the national anthem to begin the ceremony, and Rob Palermo, program director for the Carolina Veterans Resource Center, shared a tribute to service members missing in action and prisoners of war.
“You all have answered the call to duty, to honor and to serve our country, and we gather today because of your bravery and sacrifice,” said Becci Menghini, vice chancellor for human resources and equal opportunity and compliance. “We owe you our gratitude, certainly, but we also owe you a commitment to honor your sacrifice every day, and to defend your efforts in support of all that we enjoy as Americans and as Tar Heels.”
Chancellor Lee H. Roberts joined Menghini in thanking veterans across the Carolina community for their service.
“Your commitment to Carolina is exceptional, but more importantly, thank you for your commitment to our country, to service and to peace and freedom of the world at large,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address was Grier Martin ’95 (JD), a retired Army Reserve officer and secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
“Today’s event is really a celebration of what veterans bring to the University of North Carolina,” he said. “You bring a diversity of life experiences and viewpoints, but most importantly, you stepped up to serve our country and set an example for everyone else in the University community with your service.
“Thank you for what you’ve done for America, and thank you for being a part of this University,” Martin concluded.
The Tar Heel Tribute is one of several campus events leading up to Veterans Day. The Carolina Veterans Resource Center will host a variety of lunches, panels and networking opportunities to connect with others in the University’s military community during Veterans Week, Nov. 12-16.
