Honoring veterans means more than a salute or a handshake. According to Kit Crane, who served in Iraq as an army officer, we're obligated to have their backs.
"Veterans are never alone," he said. We think we are ... But we are really not. Someone's got your back. And when our veterans come back, it is our obligation to have their back and take care of each other."
Kit Crane, now the Henry County prosecuting attorney and an Army Reserve member of the Judge Advocate General Detachment's office, said Veterans Day should serve to thank not only veterans but also their families for their support.
"Not every veteran who came home came back to the same family," he said. "It's not only the veterans that we remember and their seen and unseen sacrifices, but also their families."
Crane, who served in Iraq in 2004, talked in front of a packed room on the first floor of Bracken Library during a series of Veterans Day events.
Crane ended his speech emphasizing the importance of thanking veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War for their service, and to not forget them.
"I ask you, before the end of the day, and before it's too late, to reach out to these vanishing veterans and thank them for what they've done," he said. "Because we stand upon their shoulders."
The ceremony included the presentation of the Student Veterans Support Award, which recognizes a Ball State faculty or staff member who has supported student veterans. The award was presented to Brian Pressnall, systems coordinator in the office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Pressnall helped set up programs that help student veterans and their families weigh their options for grants or financial aid.
Kenneth Winner, president of the Student Veteran Organization, ended the event with an officer's address and honor ceremony.
Before Crane's speech, a group of student and faculty veterans with their friends and families gathered around Shafer Tower at 11:11 a.m. to listen to a carillon performance of "God Bless America," and "Taps."
A group of student veterans and members of the ROTC stood at the Scramble Light from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to participate in the Remembrance Day National Roll Call, in which students read the names of soldiers who lost their lives serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The roll call ended at 4 p.m. with a ceremony taking place at the Scramble Light.
Winner said he works with student veterans through SVO as a way to thank them for their service.
"We all go back to those who have died and the fallen in combat and they really mean a lot, and we all should honor them," he said. "But we tend to forget those who are among us every day, still fighting battles whether they are internal or external."
The Ball State's SVO was established in 2009 and helps student veterans by providing a sense of community and helping them meet their academic goals, according to the Ball State website.
At Ball State, the number of veteran and military students enrolled is 366, with a graduation rate of 80 percent.
Alan Todd, 42, transferred to Ball State from Ivy Tech this year. Born and raised in Texas, he married and moved to Fishers, Ind. Todd served in Desert Storm in 1991 and Iraq in 2005.
SVO contacted Todd before he started his classes at Ball State and helped him build his schedule. He said Ball State's SVO and the veteran organization at Ivy Tech have helped him with the transition of going back to school.
"It was pretty easy getting back to school, but you felt out of your environment," he said. "When I came back, a lot of civilians didn't realize some of the stuff that we went through. These organizations help us make the transition from the military to college."
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