CHESTERTOWN — Washington College’s military heritage has remained strong with thousands of men and women who have served in the armed services.
An estimated 250 are still living, and all are invited to return to campus on Saturday, April 18 for the third annual Military Appreciation Day.
[Last year, 33 veterans were in attendance.]
At halftime of the Washington-Gettysburg men’s lacrosse game, an oversized American flag — said to cover as much as 80% of Kibler Field at Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium — will be unfurled, while soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines and their family members will be asked to step forward to be recognized.
This year’s special honoree is Maj. Robert Bruce Jaeger ‘66, United States Air Force (Ret.).
This is the 56th meeting between Washington and Gettysburg. Gettysburg leads the series, 38-17.
Game time is noon Saturday.
Washington College’s connection to U.S. veterans runs deep, beginning with namesake George Washington, who was commissioned by the Continental Congress as commander in chief of the Continental Army on June 19, 1775.
Washington awarded the first purple-colored badges, known as the Badge of Military Merit [which would later become the Purple Heart medal], to soldiers who fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War to honor their valor and meritorious service.
“Following in the footsteps of George Washington, Washington College veterans have played a significant role throughout our history in defending and protecting the freedom of the United States of America and its citizens,” the college’s website states.
For more about Military Appreciation Day, see https://wcmilitaryappreciation.com/
