Veterans Archives

A U.S. Marine saluting against a black background while in the dress blues service uniform.

Embracing the Challenge: Hillsdale Students at OCS

“The Few, the Proud.” The United States Marine Corps represents a practical application of the principles behind the United States of America and its Constitution.

Pursuing Truth and Defending Liberty

Taimur Khan is a Marine Corps veteran and current student at Hillsdale College. He served two tours of duty as an air support operator, first in the Pacific, and then in Afghanistan.

Continuing to Defend and Support the Constitution

After retiring from the air force as a major, Mr. Wykes joined the inaugural class at the Van Andel School of Statesmanship, moving to Hillsdale with his wife and family. His graduate coursework at Hillsdale, and now his job as the director of operations for the graduate school, are a continuation of the oath of service he took as a member of the air force to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

A Shared Mission to Defend the Constitution

Lt. Col. Michael Murray’s interest in the military was rooted in his family heritage. No, military service was not a Murray family tradition. In fact, Michael’s father was an Irish immigrant. But preserving the freedoms that gave his father the opportunity to immigrate drove Michael to service in the armed forces.

From the South Pacific to Southern Michigan

Hillsdale freshman Greg Woodard, a twenty-five-year-old veteran of the US Marines, did not take the conventional path to the military. The son of an American father with dual citizenship, he grew up in Canada and attended a Catholic minor seminary in high school with plans to become a priest. However, after one year of attending college, he discerned that he wasn’t being called to the priesthood and decided to serve in Afghanistan like his older brother.

Duty, Courage, and the Soul

Sitting in his office, you get an immediate feel for the institution that has most impacted Dr. Peter Jennings’ life: the Marine Corps. An old recruitment poster hangs next to the door, and the screensaver on his desktop rotates between pictures of his family and his time in Iraq and Kuwait.