UNCW Military Affairs honoring veterans with ceremony Thursday afternoon

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A special ceremony is scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Veterans Hall on the campus of UNCW.

UNC Wilmington’s Office of Military Affairs will host a celebration beginning at 3:00 pm at the Allied Health Quad on campus.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

The event will honor several WWII veterans in attendance, as well as numerous dignitaries from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Other guests will include students, members of the Student Veterans Organization, faculty, staff, UNCW Board of Trustees members and local officials.

Guest speakers will include Lieutenant General USMC (ret) Walter Gaskin, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Brigadier General Andrew M. Niebel, Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations East; Dr. Aswani K. Volety, UNCW Chancellor; and Bill Kawczynski, UNCW Director of Military Affairs.

“We want to make sure the celebration is as memorable for all of our attendees as possible,” Kawczynski said.

Veterans Hall, a 145,000-square-foot facility, is currently the only building in the United States located on a university or college campus named in honor of all veterans – past, present and future. Most buildings on campuses are named for individuals who attended the school, were employed there or were from the surrounding community.

More than 2,100 military-affiliated students are currently enrolled at UNCW (12% of total enrollment).

In honor of the ceremony, there will be a flyover provided by the Bandit Flight Team.