Stanford and the City of Palo Alto hosted a Veterans Day celebration at MacArthur Park on Nov. 9, honoring veterans, active service members and their families. Ceremonies were led by Capt. Chris Rieping M.S. ’27, and included a keynote speech by Lt. Col. Tyler J. Jensen of U.S. Army Special Forces.

The event’s location was especially significant — MacArthur Park was built in 1918 as a Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) hostess house for soldiers and their families during World War I. One year after World War I concluded on Nov. 11, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson established the date as Armistice Day. The holiday was then renamed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor all American veterans of all previous wars.

Michelle Landrey Cline ’93, MBA ’98, current president of the Stanford Alumni Association was in attendance. Landrey Cline said in her speech that 45 graduate degree recipients were veterans or active duty service members last June. She added that this year, 10 military veterans joined Stanford’s undergraduate class.

“Our veterans have a very strong sense of community,” Landrey Cline said. “They inspire us through their dedication, their leadership and their commitment to a cause greater than themselves, which is what Jane Stanford wanted.”

Greer Stone, Vice Mayor of Palo Alto, further acknowledged service members’ commitment to the United States no matter which political party is in power.

“To our veterans, there is no red America or blue America,” Stone said. “Their love of country does not depend on who wins an election… their allegiance is not to any man, woman or political party. Their devotion is to something far greater than that: the enduring ideals upon which this nation was founded.”

Stone highlighted how service members continued to serve selflessly through times of unity or division, and through wars that were popular or unpopular. Similarly, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Ray Powell, Commander of American Legion Post 375, emphasized the role of Vietnam War veterans in fostering a deeper cultural respect for those who serve.

“Many of them came home to a very different kind of environment,” Powell said. “But many of them decided they weren’t just going to sit around and feel sorry for themselves… so many of the benefits we enjoy today are because their generation stood up for us, and so it’s important that we stand up with them.”

One of the veterans honored at the event was Sgt. Joseph “Fighting Joe” Tucker Sr, a U.S. Army veteran and member of Post 375 who served in the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. Tucker previously received a Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star Medal for his service.

Donna Zolezzi of South Bay Blue Star Moms, a military family organization, presented Tucker with a red, white and blue Quilt of Valor named “Normandy.”

“We consider it a privilege to honor you, though we may never know the extent of your sacrifice and service to protect and defend the United States of America,” Zolezzi said, wrapping the quilt around Tucker. “Thank you so much.”

Lt. Col. Jensen, the event’s keynote speaker, is a National Security Affairs Fellow (NSAF) at the Hoover Institution. Jensen received the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest decoration for valor in combat, in 2008. 

Jensen began his speech with the concluding sentence of the Declaration of Independence, interpreting it as a promise to put others before one’s self. Jensen then told various stories of selfless service by service members, including that of Rick Rescorla, a Vietnam War veteran who is credited with saving over 2,700 lives on 9/11. 

Another story Jensen featured in his speech was of Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds during World War II. A German commandant ordered Edmonds, a prisoner of war, to separate his 1,292 men by faith, looking specifically for Jewish members. Edmonds refused — even with a gun pointed to his head — and the Germans backed down. Edmonds’ act of selflessness was not known until after his death, when his son discovered the story in his father’s diary. Edmonds was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor.

But for Jensen, among the most selfless are the families of service members. Jensen recounted missing his daughter’s birthdays due to deployments. He remembered being able to surprise her for her 13th birthday, which she called “the best birthday present ever.”

“The pledge between us ran both ways,” Jensen said. “I made mine to the country. She made hers to me and she kept it… so to the military families here today, you served too.”

Jensen encouraged the audience to continue the promise of selflessness, military-affiliated or not. 

“250 years ago, [our founders] pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to each other,” Jensen said. “Now it’s our turn to keep that promise.”