On May 31, 2021, Memorial Day, Americans across the country remembered our veterans’ sacrifices. Leading up to the date itself, several veterans from the MA in Public Leadership community discussed what the day means to them.
On NorthJersey.com, MAPL professor Jeremy Teigen shared his thoughts on what Jim Beckerman described as “a country… that has become disconnected from war.” Professor Teigen, a veteran of the Air Force, teaches courses on political science, government, and military topics at Ramapo College and in the MAPL program at the University of San Francisco. He reflected on why war seems distant to current Americans, noting that “these days the average citizen is asked to do very little toward these conflicts.”
Prof. Jeremy Teigen, courtesy of his Twitter page @ProfTeigen
MAPL alumnus and Navy veteran Aaron Brennan also reflected on the importance of Memorial Day to him to the country. Remembering a particularly moving ramp ceremony in The San Diego Union-Tribune, he asked citizens to spare a moment to remember the sacrifices of the troops during the long weekend.
Janessa Goldbeck, a MAPL student and veteran of the Marine Corps, also took to the Union-Tribune to raise awareness about veteran deaths by suicide. This Memorial Day, she wrote, it’s more important than ever to reach out to veterans who may be at risk for death by suicide.
