Celebrating Veterans this November: past, present, and future

November is an important month for our military-connected students. In addition to recognizing  November 11 as Veterans Day, November is also National Veterans and Military Family Month. This year, University Veteran Services (UVS) hosted several events and programs around campus to honor UW-Madison’s military history, celebrate our present veterans and service members, and advocate for the future of the UW-Madison military-connected community. 

UVS kicked off November by looking toward the future of our military-connected Badgers with an exciting Military-Connected Prospective Student Day. This event welcomed all prospective students with military ties, whether veterans, current service members, or the spouses and children of veterans and service members. Students from across Wisconsin—and even a few from out of state—joined UVS for the event, eager to ask questions, gain valuable insights, and experience the vibrant UW-Madison campus firsthand.  

Three women and two men stand in a row and smile while facing forward.
Student panelists and University Veteran Service Staff presenters pose for a picture at the Diversity Forum. From left to right: Amanda Venske, Natalia Torres, AJ Brown, Melanie Laflin, Joe Rasmussen.

Another way UVS advocated for the future of the military-connected community on campus was by providing a presentation on the current military-connected population on campus and facilitating a panel of military-connected students at the UW-Madison Diversity Forum on November 13. The panel intended to uplift student stories and provide space for their lived experiences. UVS team members Joe Rasmussen and Amanda Venske presented information in the first portion of the conference session that helped provide context for attendees about military-connected communities. Student panelists AJ Brown, a US Navy veteran; Melanie Laflin, a military-connected child and currently serving Wisconsin Air National Guardsman; and Natalia Torres, a military-connected child, all shared illuminating answers and stories to hundreds of attendees across the in-person and live-streamed modalities of the conference. 

Each student panelist gave clear and engaging answers to the questions and challenged the stereotypical depiction of who a military-connected individual is. While AJ Brown discussed overcoming challenges as a military-connected student on campus he attributed his growth in overcoming challenges to his time in the military, “At one point I used to think that I don’t need anybody. I’m strong, independent, but it turns out that I was much stronger when I was a part of a bigger community. That’s helped me a lot moving forward. I actually just wrote ‘never alone.’ And that’s true in the military.” 

Melanie and Natalia also spoke on the sense of community and being part of something bigger by being part of the military-connected community. Natalia described it as “that sense of community. It’s like you immediately become connected over just this one bond, which is really special.” 

A hand outstretched holding a military dog tag.
A hand outstretched holding an engraved dog tag from the Salute to Service: Honoring our Badger Veterans through time event. The do tag reads: Tracy Roberson, UW-Madison, Veterans Day”

The presentation and Student panel were just some of many events that ran during Veterans Day week. UVS hosted two events on November 11 to celebrate Veterans Day including the Veterans Day Recognition Breakfast and the Salute to Service dog tag engraving event on Library Mall. These events celebrated our current veterans and honored and acknowledged the military history of the UW-Madison campus. To learn more about these events, read our Veterans Day News Article 

On November 16, UVS continued celebrations with the On, Wisconsin! Tailgate in Camp Randall Park and invited all veterans, service members, and their families and friends to join in the celebrations. Brats were grilled, trumpets and drums rang out while a sea of people dressed in red mingled. Many people from the community and military-connected students came out for a day of food, fun, speeches, and a performance by the UW Marching Band. As the sun set, many attendees walked next door to the Camp Randall Stadium to attend the Military Appreciation home football game against Oregon where veterans were honored throughout the game. 

A line of people in black pants and red and white tops holding various instruments. They are standing outside in the grass, a sidewalk is in front of them. In the corner are a group of people looking toward the line of people with instruments.
Members of the UW-Madison Marching Band playing for the attendees of the On, Wisconsin! Tailgate.

Throughout November UVS also hosted smaller events to help support and celebrate our military-connected students during the whole month. Some additional events included an art event in collaboration with Wheelhouse Studios and the Disability Culture Center and catering weekly study days for our military-connected students. To close out the month, students also had the opportunity to pick up a Thanksgiving meal at no cost for themselves and a guest to celebrate the holiday.  

With November coming to a close, we reflect on the meaningful experiences shared and the relationships built this month. We remember the rich military history and past Badger veterans who helped shape UW-Madison and honor the present Badger veterans who continue that legacy. While UVS remains committed to advocating for the future of military-connected students and ensuring they are supported year-round.