By Skyla Luckey
The Military and Veterans Success Center (MVSC) celebrated its one-year anniversary in conjunction with Veterans Day on Nov. 11 at USF St. Petersburg. Veterans and active duty military personnel showed their support at the event.
Ben Smet, a Navy veteran and USFSP doctoral student, played “Taps” that morning in front of the USC on his trumpet as everyone paused to remember fallen soldiers.
“It is always an honor to play ‘Taps,’” said Smet, “[and] to remember veterans who have fought for our country and lost their lives while fighting for our freedom. Today has been extra special for me because my dad, who is a Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot, is here and he got to see me play as well as pay tribute to his Vietnam comrades.”
Later, the MVSC held a ceremony just outside the center at the Terrace building. Attendees included Congressman David Jolly, Vietnam veterans, faculty, student veterans and MVSC staff. MVSC assistant director and Retired Marines Master Sergeant Milton White lead the ceremony.
Toward the end of the ceremony, Congressman Jolly gave awards and commemorative pins to Vietnam veterans. A few of the Vietnam veterans who received commemorative pins are students at USFSP.
Navy veteran and Veteran Affairs Bay Pines Veterans Outreach Specialist Zamir Dean doesn’t help veterans for recognition, so when White called his name at the ceremony to give him a certificate of appreciation he disappeared and reappeared after the ceremony.
“It’s a feeling of self-worth to help,” Dean said with a humble smile. “I just want to help veterans. I didn’t ever expect something like a certificate of appreciation.”
Dean visits the MVSC every Wednesday from 1:45- 4:30 p.m. and offers support and information to active duty military, reservists and veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma and combat-related trauma.
White says that the MVSC’s achievements have made him proud to be part of the organization, but acknowledges that there is still work to be done.
“I am truly excited about the growth we have seen on this campus, which is small. But the fact that we’re actually able to manage things and get people to pay attention to what veterans need on this campus is phenomenal,” said White. “As this continues, I see more and more things happening for the center itself.”
White expressed his gratitude for VA work study employees who are all veterans and USFSP students that help with the organization of the center. He has full faith that when a veteran who is new to the campus walks into the MVSC and requests help filing their VA educational benefits or has a question about their benefits that one of his staff members can answer.
White and his staff would like to see more veterans on campus take advantage of the center. The MVSC recently upgraded its computers for veterans to use for studying and applying for benefits.
