veteran

Home Town Hero: Janina Rios

United States Army veteran and Syracuse University undergraduate student Janina Rios enlisted into the U.S. Army in October 2010, and three days after her high school graduation she shipped out to Basic Training

Hometown Hero: Eileen Collins, ’78

Collins was the second woman ever accepted to the prestigious Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Upon graduation in 1990, NASA selected her for the astronaut program. At NASA, she famously became the first woman astronaut to both pilot (1995) and then command (1999) a Space Shuttle mission.

Centenarian Veteran Alumnus, Robert Gang, Celebrated During College of Law’s Alumni Weekend

Robert Gang, who at 103 is the oldest living alumnus from Syracuse University’s College of Law, was honored Sept. 25 at the National Veterans Resource Center. The WWII and the Korean War-era veteran attended Syracuse University as both an undergraduate and law school­ student, and he was a member of Syracuse University’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

Hometown Hero: Phil Benedict

United States Air Force Veteran and Syracuse University Employee Phil Benedict is from Pompey New York. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in spring of 1977 as an Aircraft Aerospace Technician. During his active-duty service, Phil was stationed in Royal Air Force (RAF) Upper Heyford, England and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, followed by continued service in the Air Force Reserves, Air National Guard, and the Navy Reserves.

Air Force Airman, Shaei Rodriguez, Finds Success in Taking Risks

Some people graduate from high school knowing exactly what they want to study in college. Others go straight into the workforce. For Shaei Rodriguez ’22, the path wasn’t so clear. He joined the United States Air Force after high school as a way to gain some wisdom and experience, and to help with the financial aspects of higher education.

Alumnus, John Gibson’s, Journey into a Combat Engineer’s Traumatic Memories Featured in Wordgathering

As a Marine combat engineer with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, John Gibson’s job was to identify improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mines, place and clear obstacles, lay out concertina wire and build bunkers. This essential, physical and tactile combat zone work not only requires close attention to detail but also an understanding of how the lives of fellow servicemembers rely on your skill. The sights, sounds and intense memories of combat left a deep impression on Gibson ’20, one that he invites others to experience through his immersive art exhibition, “A Sapper’s Abyss.”

You Don’t Surrender: Journal and Memoirs of Don Waful, a World War II POW

Lieutenant Donald R Waful ’37, G’39 kept a journal during part of the “3 Christmases and 3 birthdays” he spent behind enemy lines. Captured by the German army and held captive from 1942-44, Waful recorded details of daily life, diversions the prisoners employed to pass the time, and his burgeoning love for Cassie, the enlisted nurse he’d become engaged to weeks before his capture.Lieutenant Donald R Waful ’37, G’39 kept a journal during part of the “3 Christmases and 3 birthdays” he spent behind enemy lines. Captured by the German army and held captive from 1942-44, Waful recorded details of daily life, diversions the prisoners employed to pass the time, and his burgeoning love for Cassie, the enlisted nurse he’d become engaged to weeks before his capture.

Shanon Meeks—Veteran, Military Spouse, Mom, and Syracuse DCP Candidate

Shanon Meeks knows these challenges firsthand. Originally from South Korea, she met her now-husband while he was stationed there. After they married and returned to the U.S., she recalls having difficulty figuring out what she wanted to do for work. “When I first came to the U.S., I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” she says. “Even though I spoke English as my second language, it seemed difficult to find opportunities for myself.”