Courage on Display: Explore the Veterans Walk of Honor Outside the Veterans Resource Center
By: Jennifer Herseim | Categories: Alumni Association News
The display recognizes the sacrifices made by veterans and symbolizes Tech’s enduring commitment to active-duty service members, veterans, and their families. Along the pathway leading to the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) near the BioTech Quad, you’ll see markers representing every branch of the U.S. military, each with its motto in Morse code. The display also features plaques honoring Tech’s Medal of Honor recipients (pictured above) and markers honoring alumni who have given their lives in the service of their country.
“Georgia Tech has a distinguished history of supporting active-duty veterans spanning over a century,” Kim Harrington, interim associate vice president for Arts, Belonging, and Community, said at the unveiling ceremony.
Georgia Tech opened the VRC more than a decade ago, continuing a commitment that began in July of 1917 with the School of Military Aeronautics establishing training for veterans.
During the unveiling, David Ross, the VRC’s director, invited the community to explore the center’s work and reflect on Tech’s rich military history, as represented through the Veterans Walk of Honor.
In addition to Ross and Harrington, the ceremony featured speeches from Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, MS Psy 93, PhD Psy 95, Mike Shannon, MS HP 03, PhD NRE 09, and President of Tech’s Student Veterans Association Michael Bauby.
The event opened with the Georgia Tech Glee Club singing the national anthem and concluded with a performance by the University of North Georgia rifle team.
Some of the plaques along the display were relocated from other spots across campus. One plaque honors war hero Lieutenant Commander Mercer McCall Tharpe, Cls 1926, who gave his life at the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. Tharpe, a former player for Coach Alexander, was at one point an assistant football coach at Tech.
Another plaque, erected by the former members of Tech’s 1920–1943 track squads, pays tribute to their teammates who gave their lives in World War II.
Engraved above two columns of names the plaque’s inscription reads, “They finished their course with the torch of victory held high so that those that come after may enjoy the fruits of democracy.”
