Indiana University Northwest honors veterans through its 2026 Veterans Week

All week long, Indiana University Northwest honored those who have served the United States through its Veterans Week celebrations, ceremonies and activities.

On Wednesday, November 11, IU Northwest hosted its annual Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony. At 11:11 a.m., students, faculty, staff and community members gathered to pay tribute and honor U.S. veterans.

“Veterans are ordinary citizens who made the protection of the United States of America their personal responsibility. They stepped forward and accepted an obligation that carries real demands, real sacrifices, and sometimes lasting consequences,” said Britni Stevens, Student Nurses Association president and Navy veteran.

Following the flag-raising ceremony, attendees had an opportunity to create a wreath honoring a beloved veteran. At 12:30 p.m., IU Northwest Chancellor Arrick Jackson hosted a conversation with Patrick Russell, oral historian and founder of the Making History Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving veterans’ stories for future generations.

“You cannot have a democracy if you have an uneducated population. That is my fundamental belief, and why education is so important,” Jackson said.

Based in Florida, Russell first came up with the idea for the project after visiting Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, for the 66th anniversary of D-Day in 2010. During the visit, he spoke with World War II veterans who were in attendance. Russell decided that greater efforts were needed to preserve the stories of not only those veterans, but veterans across the country.

The Making History Project officially launched in 2015 and is committed to preserving veterans’ stories through in-person oral history interviews. Once an interview is complete, a DVD copy is given to the veteran and their family, and the interview is permanently archived with the U.S. Library of Congress, as well as the University of Florida’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. This archival process helps ensure the interviews remain accessible to future generations.

“This interview is being conducted by the Making History Project. It is a great honor to interview you,” Russell said, as he introduced the conversation with Jackson. “The interview will help preserve another veteran’s story for future generations.”

Russell and the Making History Project intend to continue this work through interviews and by analyzing the effects of combat trauma on veterans from different generations and conflicts. On Thursday, November 12, IU Northwest will also host a reflective conversation about war, trauma and oral history in the Bergland Auditorium.

Other activities throughout the week included the “Walk of Heroes” campus tribute and the MRE Tasting Table, where guests could learn about and sample the meals service members eat while training and operating in the field.

“Every veteran’s experience is different. Each deserves the opportunity to be heard and the respect of the community they help protect,” Stevens said. “Celebrating veterans means appreciating what they continue to contribute.”

To learn more about Indiana University Northwest and its upcoming events, visit northwest.iu.edu.