Veterans Day 2024

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 6, a group of University of Delaware students, staff and volunteers was barely visible on the Newark campus as they descended upon The Green with coffee cups, measuring tape and 7,088 small American flags in hand. When classes and typical foot traffic were in full swing a few hours later, the grass was covered in a uniform sea of red, white and blue.

The impressive visual is the handiwork of Armed Forces Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) Air Force and Army students, staff and members of the Blue Hen Veterans (BHV) registered student organization. An annual Veterans Day week tradition since 2002, it pays tribute to the over 7,000 U.S. military service members who have made the ultimate sacrifice since Sept. 11, 2001.

The flags served as a backdrop the following morning, Nov. 7, as a crowd of UD leadership, faculty, staff, students, community members and guests came together outside Memorial Hall for the "Flags on the Green" ceremony presented by the UD Biden Institute in partnership with the Division of Student Life and BHV. The annual event featured a keynote address from U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, a U.S. Navy veteran, and honored those who have served and their families before Veterans Day, observed on Monday, Nov. 11.