November: Honoring Veterans

Honoring Veterans

In November, Yale recognizes U.S. military veterans and their families for their service and support. Please join us for a Veterans Day ceremony on November 10, and explore additional information and related events.

Have we missed something?  Please let us know.

Engagement Opportunities:

Monuments

Visit some of the monuments in New Haven celebrating veterans across the country’s history:

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument at East Rock Park
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is the most prominent monument in New Haven, CT, and a maritime navigational beacon for the Long Island Sound. It honors the 520 New Haven men who were killed in the Civil War and commemorates those who also served in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Mexican War. Learn more about the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the Conserve Art website.

Image credit: Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument from Everyone Has a Story Blog, Jeanne Bryan Insalaco

Broadway Civil War Monument at Broadway and Elm St
The Broadway Civil War Monument is the third Civil War monument erected in New Haven, CT. Dedicated in 1905 to four Connecticut regiments, the monument was supplied by Smith Granite Company and originally placed 30 feet from its present location. The statue was moved to its present location in 1928 to accommodate changing street patterns. Learn more about this monument on the Conserve Art website.

Image credit: Broadway Civil War Monument from Conserve ART website

Spanish American War Memorial in Edgewood Park
The Spanish American War Memorial includes a life-sized figure of a Spanish American War serviceman, standing facing east on a high granite pedestal. This monument is also a memorial for the U.S.S. Maine and presumably one of the two missing plaques was cast from metal from the U.S.S. Maine. Learn more about this memorial on the City of Elms website.

Image credit: The Spanish American War Monument with its plaques in-tact and a severed rifle, 2020, photo taken by Hannah Marcano

Books and Library Resources

Yale University Library has an extensive collection of books, electronic resources, and special collection manuscripts related to veterans:

Books

Redeployment by Phil Kay
This collection of short stories was awarded the National Book Award in 2014 for its view of the Iraq War and life for soldiers after it.

Risk : A User’s Guide by General Stanley A. McChrystal, US Army, Retired & Anna Butrico
General McChrystal offers a battle-tested system for detecting and responding to risk. Instead of defining risk as a force to predict, McChrystal and coauthor Anna Butrico show that there are in fact ten dimensions of control we can adjust at any given time. By closely monitoring these controls, we can maintain a healthy Risk Immune System that allows us to effectively anticipate, identify, analyze, and act upon the ever-present possibility that things will not go as planned.

Soldier Girls: The Battle of Three Women at Home and at War by Helen Thorpe
This book discusses the experience of three women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and the impact of their military service on their personal life.

The Dichotomy of Leadership : Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
In The Dichotomy of Leadership, Jocko and Leif dive even deeper into the unchartered and complex waters of a concept first introduced in Extreme Ownership: finding balance between the opposing forces that pull every leader in different directions.

The Millionaires’ Unit: The Aristocratic Flyboys Who Fought the Great War and Invented America’s Airpower by Marc Wortman
This book recounts the story of a group of Yalies who were among the first Americans to fight during WWI and founded an air unit that became the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve.

Databases

HeinOnline Military and Government Collection
This collection brings together thousands of diverse publications related to the history, glory, might, and daily nitty-gritty of administrating America’s fighting forces. Composed of books, congressional hearings, committee prints, legislative histories, CRS and GAO Reports, and more, this database allows users to research the functions of the federal government in administrating the armed forces and the issues confronting service personnel both on and off the battlefield, from women’s changing role in the military, hollow forces, the development of new weaponry, free speech rights, and navigating benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs after service.”

EBSCOhost Military and Government Collection
Designed to offer current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government, this database offers a thorough collection of periodicals, academic journals, and other content pertinent to the increasing needs of those sites. The Military & Government Collection provides cover-to-cover full text for nearly 300 journals and periodicals and indexing and abstracts for more than 400 titles.”

Historical Collections

Musical collections/resources

Additional Library Resources

Courses and Resources

Reserve Officers Training Corps at Yale
Yale offers Naval and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps programs on campus and Army ROTC programming is available to undergraduates at the University of New Haven.

The War Horse’s Veterans Reflections
Read about the experiences of veterans and other military-connected people in the War Horse’s Reflections page.

Office of Career Strategy Student Veterans Resources
The Yale Office of Career Strategy has created dedicated resources to help student veterans pursue professional opportunities that align with their career goals.

LinkedIn Learning
Explore free courses on LinkedIn Learning, including courses on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Events

Yale Veterans Day Ceremony Hewitt University Quadrangle/Beinecke Plaza, November 10, 12:30 pm -1:30 pm
Members of the Yale Community are invited to gather on Hewitt Quadrangle/Beinecke Plaza to celebrate Yale veterans, past and present. Speakers include President Salovey, Secretary and Vice President for University Life Kimberly Goff-Crews, and Yale College student and U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Atkinson. In addition, Jack Beecher will receive the “Veterans Day Tribute” in recognition of her support for Yale veterans. A brass quartet will perform the national and service anthems and echoing taps will be played.

National Veteran Council for Legal Redress to Host 3rd Annual Veterans Day Celebration Saturday, November 11, 1 pm
The Yale Veterans Network (YVN) is proud to be a sponsor of the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress (NVCLR) 3rd Veteran’s Day Celebration, taking place at the Vietnam Memorial Monument on the Long Wharf, New Haven, CT. Please attend and help raise funds and awareness for veterans.

Long Wharf War Memorial Fall Clean Up , Saturday, November 4, 9 – 11 AM, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, CT
In Partnership with the City of New Haven, New Haven Mayors Veteran Affairs Committee, American Legion Post 210, VFW Post 12150, & Yale Veterans Network, join us for a Long Wharf War Memorial Fall Clean Up. Materials will be provided by the New Haven Public Works Department. Please bring your work gloves, shovels, brooms, and gas or battery-powered blowers or trimmers.

Veterans Day Display and Reception, Display from Thursday, November 2, 2023 - 12:00am to Thursday, November 16, 2023 - 12:00am, and Reception on Thursday, November 9, 4:30-6:00pm, at the Beinecke Library.
A temporary display on the Beinecke mezzanine will showcase photographs, books, and other archival materials related to Black soldiers in the Civil War in commemoration of the diverse experiences of veteran and military communities at Yale and in New Haven. Please join us for its accompanying reception featuring remarks from Franklin Parker YC ’96, 19th Assistant Secretary of the US Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Co-hosted by Yale Library, Yale Veterans Network, Yale NROTC, Yale Office for Veteran and Military Affairs, and the Descendants of the 29th Colored Regiment.

Yale Library Book Talk: Jill Newmark, “From Ivy League to US Navy: Richard Henry Greene, Black Civil War Surgeon,” Wednesday, November 1, 2023 – 4:00pm to 5:30 pm
Historian Jill Newmark will discuss her research on Richard Henry Greene, the first African American to graduate from Yale University and a key figure in her new book Without Concealment, Without Compromise: The Courageous Lives of Black Civil War Surgeons.

November 1918:  The Great War and The Great Gatsby, Wednesday, November 8, 2023 8:00pm, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
Experience a one-of-a-kind multimedia event by historian John Monsky, featuring bold musical storytelling performed by acclaimed Broadway vocalists, live music by Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and more. With Monsky’s signature blend of meticulously researched history, rare archival film and photography, and works by composers from James Reese Europe to Irving Berlin, this is a groundbreaking exploration of World War I as engaging as it is enlightening.

Podcasts, Films, and TV Series

Thank You For Your Service
This movie showcases the realities of U.S. soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their efforts to readjust to civilian life, based on David Finkel’s non-fiction book by the same name.

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
This documentary profiles counselors staffing the Veterans’ Crisis Line, a moving testament to the importance of service for veterans after service.

The Messenger
In this movie, an injured army staff sergeant, recognized as a hero, returns from Iraq and is tasked with serving as a casualty notification officer alongside a recovering addict.

American Veteran
This four-part documentary series discusses the veteran experience across American history and the present-day experiences of the veterans community. The series will re-air on PBS starting on November 6.

Organizations, Offices, and Centers of Engagement

Eli Whitney Scholars Program
The Eli Whitney Students Program (EWSP) is designed specifically for nontraditional students wishing to pursue a Yale undergraduate B.A. or B.S. degree. Eli Whitney students come from wide a range of backgrounds, including community colleges, first-generation families, and the military.

Yale Veterans Association
The Yale Veteran Association is the Yale Alumni interest group for all veterans and currently serving members of the Yale community.

Yale Veterans Network
The Yale Veterans Network is the university’s employee community of veterans and allies dedicated to the recruitment, career development, and retention of veterans at Yale.

Yale Law Veterans Association
The Yale Law Veterans Association is the Yale Law School’s group to connect members of the Law School community who have served in the armed forces.

Yale School of Management Veterans Club
The Yale SOM Veterans Club engages prospective students who are veterans, the Yale SOM veteran community and alumni, and employers seeking to engage the Yale SOM community.

Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs
The Connecticut Department of Veteran Affairs provides benefits to veterans throughout the state.

Office of Diversity and Inclusion
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) collaborates with departments and individuals across the Yale campus to promote a respectful, accessible, and inclusive community for all Yale employees.

Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility
The Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA) is responsible for ensuring Yale’s commitment to equitable and inclusive working and learning environments. This includes Yale’s Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment.

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