Carolina says ‘thank you’ to those who served

Carolina has a proud tradition of supporting and honoring those who serve our nation. At this year’s Tar Heel Tribute on Nov. 18, University leaders shared their gratitude with 90 retired and active military veterans for their leadership and contributions to the country and community.

“Our veterans and military-affiliated students, faculty and staff are such an important part of the Carolina community, and I am honored to celebrate you all today,” said Linc Butler, senior associate vice chancellor for human resources and academic personnel. “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.”

The annual event is part of the University’s celebrations for National Veterans and Military Families Month, which included the opening ceremony of the rebranded Military and Veteran Student Success Center and the unveiling of Carolina football’s new “Honoring our Military” wall.

(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

Chancellor Lee H. Roberts reflected on the history and impact of veterans at the University, going back to Carolina’s founding.

“Our founder, William Richardson Davie, was a cavalry commander in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The relationship between our University and the military has been deep and strong ever since then, and we’d like to make it even stronger,” he said. “We owe our veterans a significant debt of gratitude, and we’re going to do everything we can to support them and build closer ties with the University.”

This year’s keynote speaker, Jake Norotsky, is from the Wounded Warrior Project, the nation’s leading veterans service organization. Norotsky said coming home following multiple deployments in Iraq made him “excited to be a veteran, and I’m so proud I got to serve. Thank you for all for your service.

Jake Norotsky from the Wounded Warriors Project delivers the keynote address.
(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

“We now have the opportunity to serve on the front lines with you as we continue to work,” Norotsky continued. “We work to obliterate post-traumatic stress disorder, to obliterate suicide and to make our country better. To the UNC faculty, staff, my fellow veterans — this is a day of celebration and thankfulness, because we get to be a part of you.”

The message resonated with attendee Chris Genwright, divisional human resources director in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, who served in the U.S. Air Force for five years.

“UNC does a great job of supporting veterans. It makes you feel like you did something important,” he said. “A lot of us, as veterans, we get out and so many of us will sink into the shadows. But having an event like this that honors the sacrifices you made while in the military, it really helps build up the community. Every year, I reflect on our journeys and where it took us here at Carolina and how we all started in the same place. Having that camaraderie is the most rewarding part.”