Honoring Our Local Heroes

Alison Palumbo

Alison is a senior psychology major and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years on active duty. She was stationed at Cherry Point Air Station, N.C. and deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2008 where she served as a combat photographer for eight months.

Memorable Experience

"Meeting the Afghan women; they're not allowed to associate or talk to any men that weren't their husbands. So at the hospital, they were bussed into one room and then they could finally disrobe. It would be me and the female interpreter and the female doctor, and that's all they would let in. So that [was] a pretty crazy experience to see these women and they're naturally beautiful. You got to be in there and nobody else could.

It's pretty overwhelming to think that back here we don't think twice about that, but they can't even be seen or show the littlest amount of skin. That's totally ‘taboo' and just the fact that they trusted you and you got to in with them is pretty amazing."

What Veterans Day means to Alison

"[Veterans Day] really didn't mean much before, but now it's just a whole different view of respect for people who would sacrifice their time and their families to protect people that might care or might not care. Just to put themselves out there, they don't do it because they have to. They do it because they want to."

Andrew Goslin

Andrew is a senior legal studies major and served in the U.S. Navy for four years on active duty as an Anti-Terror Force Protection agent. His first deployment was to a N.A.T.O. base in Iceland for 13 months, then 10 months between Africa and the Middle East. He comes from a long tradition of military men, with his great-grandfathers serving in the World Wars.

Memorable Experience

"The moment that sticks out the most, and the moment that I am most proud of, is my major instance of dissent. I did not believe in the orders I was given in the Seychelles, Africa. So I, along with another individual, went what is called U.A. or, Unauthorized Absence. I disappeared in the jungle [from] that tiny African nation for two days, until I was captured by my command and put to the Captain's Mast, a Navy tradition to quell dissent. It's a N.J.P., or non-judicial punishment – I am most proud of my actions because it was the first time I was comfortable thinking for myself, something I thought most civilians prided themselves on, regardless of the consequences."

What Veterans Day means to Andrew

"Veterans Day is not just about our ‘troops,' it is a day for remembering that we are all American – there are just those of us that take it a bit more seriously and took an oath to protect The Constitution, a trust set up by our forefathers, from all enemies, foreign and domestic, to secure our republic.

As most should know, democracy is simply 51 percent controlling 49. This day should be celebrated by all, non-vets especially, to remember what this country was meant to be, free and independent and that dissent is the greatest form of Patriotism."

Dan Beal

Dan is a senior civil engineering major serving in the Air National Guard for four years and is still involved today. He is stationed at 107th Airlift Wing in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Memorable Experience

"We trained air crew which would include the pilots, the boat masters, the engineers and navigators, in land and water survival. We dedicate one weekend a year to each of those. For the water portion, we go out with the coast guard on Lake Ontario and actually have them put out there and go through different techniques on how to signal a plane and get undercover when we're out at sea. And then for the land portion, we take them to woods, in the past it's been to Letchworth State Park, and we teach them different things like how to evade and survival. It's really beneficial because it gives them first hand experience in case anyone is in an emergency situation."

What Veterans Day means to Dan

"Its something that gives people an opportunity to recognize all those men and women who have gone above and beyond. I think a lot of times, especially with two major conflict where people are not drafted into it any more. People live their daily lives and just tend to forget about all the sacrifices that people make in our country. And this is a special day that those people get to remember that and recognize it and for the average citizen to appreciate it.

I just think it's great that UB has been recognizing it so much. This is the second time they're doing a ceremony. In the past, I kind of felt that UB wasn't veteran friendly and I really feel like they're turning it around in the veteran community."

Lancelot Colquitt

Lancelot is a graduate student studying law and has served over six years in the U.S. Navy, currently inactive. He has been stationed in Chicago, Texas, Georgia, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Kuwait. Lancelot comes from a military family; his younger sister is currently a combat engineer in Afghanistan.

Memorable Experience

"I had the opportunity to meet the Secretary of Defense. I haven't met the President yet [but] I hope to someday. As an experience as a whole, you do get to see a lot more than, I think, anyone else gets the chance to. I've been more than halfway around the world twice and everywhere in between. And I've only been assigned half the places I could've been sent. So there's a ton of opportunities that even in a full career I don't think anybody would be able to take advantage of."

What Veterans Day means to Lancelot

"Overall, what I take away from it is it's the recognition what all these people have gone and done for you. When you join the service, it doesn't really mean a lot and I remember being a junior guy and hating the uniform...and some point it clicks in your brain. I've had my superiors break it down to you and it's, ‘Remember that you're not just you. The uniform represents over 200 years of men who have come before you and have done things you cant even imagine.' Your uniform should be a sense of pride. And I think Veterans Day is just kind of the acknowledgement showing that to the rest of the world."

Nnamaka Nwufoh

Nnamaka is a senior aerospace and mechanical engineering major and served in the U.S. Navy for five years. She entered the military with her sister and was stationed in San Diego, Calif. as an aircraft mechanic.

Memorable Experience

"I got to travel a little bit. It was fun. Within the country, I went to a bunch of different states. Out of the country, I was in Dubai and Bahrain. Also was in Hawaii and Singapore…It's a life experience that you can't duplicate. You have to be there to get it. It was mostly fun."

What Veterans Dany means to Nnamaka

"Veterans Day means the day that we recognize our military and their sacrifices: the retired, the M.I.As, the P.O.Ws, the guys that are hurt. It's a day of reflection…that's what it means to me. It's really sad it's not a holiday at UB 'cause it should.

More people should look into the military especially after graduation because I think the military has this scary thing about it in the news. Every time you turn on the news, you hear about military people that have had their limbs chopped off or something. It's not always that way. The military is a community; [it's] a self-sustaining community. If you close off a military base, everybody in there can leave and do everything needed to do for a year."

Samuel Pazzino

Sam is a junior computer science major and served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. During his time, he was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and was sent to Iraq twice in Fallujah for a total of 14 months as an infantry squad leader.

Memorable Experience

"The best part of it is the people you meet. And the bond you form with the people you meet is the best part of it. The friends I have are all over the country now and I try to talk to them as much as I can.

[When] you go through hard times with people for an extended amount of time, you form a pretty solid bond. You can't really get that in normal situations."

What Veterans Day means to Sam

"[What] Veterans Days means to me is more of a time to get in touch with the guys that…you know, time goes so fast and you don't realize that you…used to share with these guys everyday while you were in and everybody moves apart. It's already been a year or two since you last talked to any of them. It's my time to remember who I was with and make sure and make it a priority to get in contact with them just to make sure that you don't totally separate from one another."