This Veterans Day, Harvard Failed Its Vets

Harvard has a deep historical connection to the U.S. military. Its alumni include 18 Medal of Honor recipients, the most of any university besides West Point and the Naval Academy. Memorial Hall, one of Harvard’s flagship buildings, is dedicated to the Harvard alumni who died fighting for the Union in the American Civil War. Harvard’s peace rests on the sacrifices veterans have made.

And yet, Harvard refused to celebrate Veterans Day — a choice indicative of its general failure to address issues facing veterans on campus.

I am vice president of the Harvard Undergraduate Veterans Organization and served in the Navy for more than eight years with deployments around the world. My father sacrificed nearly 30 years in the Army. I have family members both in active duty and separated, as well as countless friends still in service.

On Monday, I awoke to text messages from family, friends, past servicemembers, and fellow students. Some were a simple “thank you for your service;” others were longer and more heartfelt.

But Harvard failed to show even the simplest grace to its veteran students. I attended classes on Monday like any other student, with hardly any mention of Veterans Day anywhere. Harvard did not send a single email in recognition of the day nor did it recognize the sacrifices many — including its current and former students — have made to protect this country.

Harvard’s approach reveals a striking disconnect in priorities. Just last week, several professors canceled classes over the results of a democratic election. Harvard provided no such allowance to students for Veterans Day.

Instead, Harvard gave many of its staff the day off, harming student activity by shutting down Harvard’s “grab and go” food options. Other than that, the University essentially pretended the holiday was just another random Monday.

Friday morning, HUVO organized a Veterans Day step challenge, encouraging participants to run the Harvard stadium stairs in an effort to raise awareness on campus. The event was full of students, both veterans and non-veterans alike, and yet I did not observe a single professor, faculty member, or Harvard administrator in attendance.

Indeed, veterans receive minimal, if any, support from faculty. Harvard has effectively sent a message to veterans that they do not care about those who made the choice to put their life on the line for their country. How can the University claim to prioritize public service after graduation when it doesn’t even acknowledge or support students who have already demonstrated their commitment to service before arriving on campus?

Perhaps Harvard’s silence reflects a broader ambivalence toward military service. In our current political climate, Americans are taught to view all military action with cynicism, as if there is no war worth fighting.

But even those who disagree with the broader military project should be willing to take a day to celebrate veterans. Veterans made the brave decision to raise their right hand and sacrifice their time to serve the American people. Veterans Day is not just about honoring the veterans themselves, but about recognizing the very act of service — the commitment to a cause greater than oneself when others turned away.

Harvard should have Veterans Day off. But the deeper issue is Harvard’s larger disconnect from its veteran community. Some leaders, like Institute of Politics Director Setti D. Warren, have spent countless hours listening to the challenges veterans face on campus and brainstorming solutions for Harvard. But more administrators should demonstrate a similar commitment to meaningful engagement.

On Monday, I wish I could have had a productive conversation with the administration to discuss these issues rather than having to publish this article. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that — it was Veterans Day, and I had classes to attend instead.

Austin M. Lawrence ’27 is a Government concentrator in Lowell House. He is vice president of the Harvard Undergraduate Veterans Organization.