ORANGEBURG, S.C. – For 75 years, South Carolina State University has been a premier developer of officers in the armed services via the Bulldog ROTC Battalion.
 
Ahead of Veterans Day SC State paid tribute to veterans among the university's alumni, faculty and staff, as well as those in the Orangeburg Community, during Saturday's football game at Oliver C. Dawson stadium.
 
"We need to honor our veterans religiously, they put everything they have on the line and the military comes before their lifestyle and families," said Retired Lt. Colonel Anthony Watson, recruiting operations officer for the Bulldog ROTC Battalion. "It is about the sacrifice they make. Veterans miss birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and I have even missed the birth of my son.
 
"In the Military, there is no -- I don't feel like it today. You have got to go. Veterans deserve to be recognized for what they have seen and done," he said.
 
By dedicating a home game near Veterans Day each year, the university honors local veterans in the community.
 
"There is a lot of them, so you never really know who might show up," Watson said. "With President (Alexander) Conyers being a military guy, he knows the fellowship and comradery ship amongst military families. But for the University and those that don't know about the military lifestyle well, we are able to educate and share the sacrifices of those in the military and how much it impacts their lives," Watson said.
 
The university also paid tribute to Gold Star Families from the Orangeburg Community. A Gold Star Family is one that has lost an immediate family member in the line of duty of military service.
 
Janae Williams, of Orangeburg, lost her brother, Chief Kendrick Williams, of Hampton, Virginia, while serving in the military.
 
"I have a love/hate relationship with the military, I am an Army brat as well. There is only a small percent of people who are willing to serve . . .and I have a lot of respect for them," said Williams.
 
Joe L Hart. Jr, of Northern Virginia, is a 1988 SC State alumnus and a retired Army colonel with 30 years of experience. He has been retired for four years, and he spends his days relaxing with family and friends while working aggressively with his local SC State alumni chapter and military alumni chapter.
 
With Veterans Day being on Nov. 11, the ROTC Bulldog Battalion works alongside the SC State's Registrar and Veterans offices to host an annual Veterans Day Appreciation Program. This year's program will take place on Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium beginning at 11 a.m.
 
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