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HARVARD YARD, 23 May 2012 -- Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Harvard President Drew Faust both spoke at the first Harvard ROTC Commissioning following the return of ROTC to Harvard's campus.
LTC Timothy Hall, Visiting Professor of Military Science at MIT and Director of Army ROTC at Harvard, who led the ceremony, reflected on the progress made over the past year in Harvard's engagement with the military, and recognized the crucial role of Capt. Curtis Stevens, Director of Navy ROTC at Harvard, who is retiring.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus JD '75 spoke of reporting to his first ship in the Boston Naval Shipyard more than 40 years ago, during the Vietnam war, and then coming to Harvard Law School afterwards when "ROTC was gone". He spoke of the contrast to today, when the country can debate the purpose of a war, but remain united in supporting those who fight it. Reflecting on his work with President Faust to re-establish ROTC at Harvard, he said that "was one of the great delights I have had" in his time as Secretary of the Navy.
President Faust spoke of the process of re-establishing both Navy and Army ROTC, and said that LTC Hall and Capt. Stevens were "wonderful colleagues and diplomats". She also expressed admiration for Sec. Mabus having reached out to her on the ROTC issue, "believing that we could get this done". She noted that we've heard a lot about the 1% at the top of the economic pinnacle, but not as much about the less than half a percent who are serving in the military, and said we must not let the military become separate from society. She quoted the founder of Army ROTC at Harvard, Capt. Constant Cordier, as saying that there are no better prospects in all this land for officers than here at Harvard.
The Class of 1962 speaker Bruce Johnstone, who was on active duty in the Navy from 1962 to 1964, including being part of the blockade during the Cuban missile crisis, told the graduates that many of the people they will be in charge of will not be as fortunate as them, and they will be a teacher, a mentor and an inspiration, and make a huge difference in the lives of many people.
Receiving Army commissions were Second Lieutenants Victoria Migdal and Nicole Unis. Receiving a Navy commission was Ensign Evan Roth. Receiving an Air Force commission was Second Lieutenant Isaiah Peterson.
(click photos for captions and higher resolution versions)
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Previous Harvard ROTC Commissioning Ceremonies: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
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