Surbhi Bharadwaj, Senior Photographer

Solemn words and patriotic melodies filled the air as Yale honored its veteran students and community members for Veterans Day.

On Monday, the university held its annual ceremony at the World War I Memorial on Hewitt Quadrangle, honoring generations of alumni veterans since Yale’s inception. The week before, the Law School hosted a panel with veteran alumni covering leadership and service. 

“Few things make me prouder than our veterans program,” said Yale Law School Dean Heather Gerken in her opening remarks to the panel event. 

University spotlights leadership, service 

At the University ceremony on Monday, attendees stood as the Veterans Day Brass Ensemble performed the National Anthem to open the ceremony. The ensemble was directed by professor Thomas Duffy and featured performers Jacob Rose MUS ’25 and Will Rich MUS ’25 on the trumpet, Yuki Mori MUS ’24 on the trombone, and Alex Friedman MUS ’25 on the tuba.

Following the musical performance, Assistant Chief of Police and co-Chair of the Yale Veterans Network Von Narcisse gave the opening remarks, honoring veterans’ lives and speaking of their virtues.

Similar to past Veterans Day ceremonies, Secretary and Vice President for University Life Kimberly Goff-Crews added to Narcisse’s statements, recognizing veterans and expressing gratitude to the Quinnipiac people for the land the university occupies.

After concluding her remarks, Goff-Crews introduced University President Maurie McInnis, who spoke at length about Yale’s long-standing tradition of service and the university’s commitment to honoring those who serve a cause greater than themselves. Throughout her speech, she pointed to other notable service figures, including personal memories of her father, whom she recalls spending time with at his base after he had completed his active duty service.

“I remember feeling struck by the sense of duty and valor demonstrated by those who served alongside him, and … the experience made an indelible imprint on me and shaped my own sense of responsibility to contribute to the common good,” McInnis said.

After sharing her ties to service, McInnis read a quote from poet and essayist Matthew Arnold and closed her speech by referencing Yale alumni Nathan Hale and Admiral Grace Hopper as examples of selfless individuals.

The next speaker, Briana Thompson LAW ’25, who served in the United States Air Force from 2008 to 2022, spoke about her own experience with service. After expressing gratitude toward Yale’s community and many mentors, she shared personal anecdotes about making mistakes, forming memories out of chaos and knowing when to step away from the military.

After Thompson’s highly personal speech and a performance by Rose and Rich of the song “Taps,” Gerken took the stage to introduce this year’s Veterans Day honoree: Michael J. Wishnie, the William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law.

Wishnie, the founding director of the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, which has made significant changes for veterans from Connecticut and across the country, addressing issues like PTSD-related benefits denials, discrimination against Black veterans, healthcare access for gender-affirming surgery and unmarried service members, and a successful lawsuit that changed the law to allow veterans to file class actions against the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Law School celebrates veteran community

On Nov. 8, a panel at Yale Law School focused on how military service intersects with leadership and career pathways, spotlighting the experiences of Matt Blumenthal LAW ’15, Phil Kaplan ’12 LAW ’20, Zoe Kreitenberg LAW ’24 and Tianyi Xin LAW ’19. 

The event was moderated by Luke Bronin ’01 LAW ’06, former mayor of Hartford and senior distinguished fellow in residence of The Tsai Leadership Program. Bronin served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. 

This event highlighted a larger trend at the Law School: growth in enrollment of veteran students. 

Since 2017, the number of veterans and service members has expanded from one percent of the incoming class to over nine percent of the J.D. class of 2027. In this current class, there are 19 veterans and service members, representing numerous branches of the military. These efforts to increase veteran enrollment align with the tenure of Gerken, who became dean on July 1, 2017. 

The event focused on the importance of service in all capacities and leadership, with alumni sharing their perspectives on how military service influenced the trajectories of their careers and time at YLS. 

Speakers also highlighted the value of connections formed while serving in the military. 

“The military community is incredibly strong, incredibly robust, incredibly diverse,” said Jeremy Rodrigues LAW ’26, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve who first commissioned in 2021. 

Blumenthal, current member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 147th district and son of Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal LAW ’73, chose to attend Yale Law School following service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He stated that he was drawn to the Law School due to the school’s emphasis on public service and public interest. 

Kreitenberg echoed these statements, noting that she was grateful to go through YLS because it gave her the opportunity to continue serving after serving in the U.S. Army. 

During her time at Yale, Kreitenberg was the co-President of Yale Law School Veterans Associations and worked with the Veterans Legal Services Clinic. 

Furthermore, the panelists focused on different types of services and the benefits of attending YLS among both civil servants and veterans. Speakers highlighted the importance of bridging the veteran-civilian gap. 

Xin, who served in the U.S. Army, emphasized the opportunity that YLS provides for the intersection between services of all kinds. 

“The military doesn’t have a monopoly on service … the most important thing is that you have the desire to serve, to be bigger than oneself,” said Xin. 

Jimmy Greene LAW ’27, who served 12 years in the U.S. Army, echoed the importance of showing respect to other forms of service, citing one example of being a public defender.

One additional topic on the panel was leadership. The speakers noted that veterans model empathy, and Kaplan highlighted the qualities of leadership and empathy as equivalent in importance. Kaplan is a lecturer at the Jackson School of Global Affairs who served in the U.S. Army. 

“The worst leaders are afraid to go in and have those conversations that they dread. The best leaders have them as soon as possible,” Bronin added.

Ceily Addison ’26, a cadet with the Yale Air Force ROTC Detachment, appreciated the focus on leadership and empathy from the speakers and how that involves “not just being a good leader on paper, but actually caring about the people and getting to know them.” 

She noted the importance of perpetuating a culture of “excellence” while showing vulnerability in her own journey as a leader in her cadet wing. 

Greene reflected that the event was a valuable example of hearing from diverse alumni who had experienced his same path. 

“What I’m taking away is just a lot of commitment, encouragement that people have done this before me,” said Greene. 

Veterans Day is a federal holiday observed every year on Nov. 11.