By: Justine Smith, New Media/Web Content Coordinator

Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize some of the 23 million brave men and women who have selflessly served our country and risked their lives to protect our freedoms. DePaul has the honor of caring for many veterans across our programs in New York, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Join us in honoring their sacrifices with this special tribute video:

Arthur Abramowski, Army
Served in Germany (helped liberate German concentration camps) during World War II

Charlie Aponte, Army, Corporal 150 Field Artillery
Served in Korea during the Korean War

Felton Baker, Army

Frank Ballew, Army, T3, 142nd Obaum Battalion
Served in France, the Philippines, and Japan during World War II

Claude Barger, Army, T-5, M50 Engineer
Served in the South Pacific during World War II

Clarence Barr, Army, Third Regiment Corporal
Served in Korea during the Korean War

James “Toby” Birch, Navy, Radar First Class
Served during the Korean War

Claude Branch, Army, Private First Class
Served during World War II

Gary Brown, Army, Specialist 5th Class/Sergeant (in Finance & Payroll Department)
Served in Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Bobby Buhler, Marines, Tank Commander
Served during the Korean War

Fredrick “Howard” Bumgarner, Army, Private
Served in the Philippines during World War II

Daniel Burns, Army, Private
Served in Panama during the Korean War

James Calafitis, Navy, First Class Seaman
Served in Okinawa and other Pacific venues during World War II

Patricia Carberry, US Air Force Nurse Corps
Served in South Dakota, England, Alabama, Montana, Saudi Arabia

James David Carpenter, Navy, E4 and Marines, E6
Served in Norfolk, Virginia and Quantico, Virginia

Darrell Cathey, Army, E-1 Private
Served in New Jersey & Louisiana

Philip Cissell, Navy, Sergeant
Served in Korea during the Korean War

Don Clar, Army, Radar Crew Chief
Served in Panama during World War II

Roland ‘Ron’ Claus, Army, Commanding Officer
Served in the United States during the Korean War

Billy Clontz, Navy, 3rd Class Petty Officer
Served in Korea during the Korean War

Dorothy Belle Cole, Air Force, Airplane Dispatcher
Served at the Bolling Field Air Force Base

Charles Colletta, Navy, Motor Machinist Mate
Served in the Pacific during World War II

William Conway, Army

Frank Courson, Navy, Petty Officer 3rd Class
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Frank DiNitto, Navy, Petty Officer
Served in Africa, Europe and Middle East during World War II

Jack Dodgson, Navy, Seaman
Served in the Pacific and Mediterranean during World War II

Charles Doerrer, Airforce, Sergeant
Served in England during the Vietnam War

Harold Drillings, Navy
Served during World War II

Larry ‘Joe’ Elmore, Navy, 2nd class Signalman
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

William Estridge, Army and Air Force
Served in Korea during the Korean War

David Farrior
Served during World War II

Philip Fuoco, Army, Corporal
Served in Germany, France, Italy, Korea during World War II and the Korean War

Joseph Furfure, Marines, Private
Served during World War II

Arthur Gay

William Gibbons

Arthur Gray

Joseph Green

David Hackett, Army, Sargent
Served in Italy

Roderick Harrison, Air Force, Paratrooper 101st 501 Airborne
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

John “Wesley” Heafner, Navy, Seaman First Class
Served in the Chesapeake Bay and Bermuda

John Hicks, National Guard, Specialist 4
Served in Moundsville, West Virginia

Richard Higgins, Army, Combat Medic
Served in Korea during World War II

Paul Hooley, Navy, E4 on aircraft carrier
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Leroy Horne, Army, Sargent
Served in Germany

Harold Israel, Army, T5
Served in Honolulu and Osaka, Japan during World War II

Orland Johnson, Army Corporal and Medic
Served in Florida during World War II

Troy Johnson, Army, Specialist 4
Served in Korea during the Korean War

Bill Johnson, Army, Corporal
Served during World War II

Joseph Kast, Navy, Seamen Apprentice (USS Forestale)
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Wilborn “Cleo” Kincaid, Navy, Gunner’s Mate (Petty Officer) 3rd Class
Served in San Diego, CA

Jack King, Navy, Signalman
Served in Korea during World War II

Paul Lang, Marines, Lance Corporal
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Joe Larkin, Army

Barry Leveridge

Leon Link, Air Force, Second Lieutenant
Served in Bedford, MA

Herbert Mace, Army, Private First Class
Served in Richmond, Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia

Richard Marquard

Earl “Curly” Mayer, Navy, Commander
Served in Memphis, New Orleans, Puerto Rico, Bermuda and
Annapolis during the Vietnam War

Bernard “Bernie” Metro, Army, Private First Class, Mailman on base
Served in Japan

Johnnie Montgomery, Sergeant
Served in New Foundland, Alaska, Canada, Colorado

Jim Moore, Army, E5
Served at the Vietnam Med Clinic during the Vietnam War

Robert Pawlik, Army, Medical Corps
Served during World War II

Benedict “Ben” Pepitone, Navy, First Class Seaman
Served in Sampson, NY, Panama Canal, Japan and the Pacific during WWII
Escorted Franklin D. Roosevelt to London

Arthur Piccarreto, Army, Army Airforce Radar Bombardment (Electronics)
Served in Italy during World War II

Dennis Presley, Army, Private 1st Class and Teletype Operator (Morse code)
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

Thomas Puett, Army, Foot Infantry, 359th Regiment, 3rd Battalion
Served in Germany during World War II

Peter Rimsa, Army, Corporal
Served in Korea during the Korean War

Kenneth Roberts, Army

Francis Ruggiero, Navy

Michael Ryan

Robert Rybarczyk, Navy, Second Electrician
Served in Korea during the Korean War

James “Steve” Sherrill, Navy Reserve
Served in Orlando, Florida and Galveston, Texas

Robert Short, Army and Navy

Elvin Skibinski, Coast Guard, Seaman E3 First Class
Served in the Arctic Circle

James Slate, Army, Private
Served in Northern France and Central Europe during World War II

Ruth Smith, Navy, Lieutenant Commander
Served during World War II

Benjamin Springett, Airforce, Sergeant E4
Served in McChord Air Force Base during the Vietnam War

Brad Stanton, Air Force, Sergeant, Intercept Radio Operator
Served in Kyushu, Japan during the Korean War

Oliver Stoddard, Army

Robert Stoletz, Army, Sergeantand Army Engineer Instructor
Served in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri and Korea during the Korean War

Lewis “Lew” Swartwout, Navy, Construction Battalion (SeaBees) Special Unit, Motor Machinist 3rd Class
Served in the South Pacific during World War II

Charles Testa, Army, Specialist Second Class
Served in San Antonio, Texas during the Korean War

Bobby Thomas, Army, Private First Class
Served in Germany during the Vietnam War

Dan Troy, Air Force, A/1C Airman First Class
Served in the Philippines during the Korean War

Anthony Vaccarelli, Navy, Bowman Mate/Sailor

Charles VanDeMar, Navy ROTC, Officer
Served during the Korean War

Ted Vargas, US Merchant Marine
Served during World War II

John Vitale, Air Force, Airman First Class
Served during the Vietnam War

William Wells, Navy

James Westbrook, Army, Private First Class
Served in Jackson, South Carolina

Dale Wiggins, Army, Private First Class
Served in Fort Gordon and Fort Bragg during the Vietnam War

Ted Wilfong, Army, Private First Class
Served in Korea during the Korean War

George Williams

William (Bill) Wooten, US Army, First Lieutenant
Served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War

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“Dear Veteran” co-written by Elizabeth Sams and her mother Renee Sams is the powerful song used in this video.

Learn more about Elizabeth’s background and what this song means to her:

What our Men and Women of Service Mean To Me

It is vital that our country remember and appreciate the value of our Veterans and all men and women of service. Every day our generation is being handed most everything, while our Troops are sacrificing for us. My platform is to teach the kids of my generation to understand that Freedom is not free.

It is clear that my peers, most especially, do not realize that these Troops work to keep our nation safe and strong, while we selfishly take all of our liberties for granted. We need to focus and truly realize that these people leave their homes and families with a possibility of never, ever coming back.  They put themselves in harm’s way each and every day so that we may enjoy the benefits of America.

I co-wrote the song, Dear Veteran, as a way to get people’s attention through music.  Mom and I spent many hours discussing this issue and we just started writing our thoughts down.  The next thing we knew, mom asked me to create a melody for the work, and I did.  Then, to complete my community service project I sang it at a Veteran’s Event and recorded it.