Over 300 military veterans and their family and friends celebrated Veterans Day at the SMU Luncheon to Honor U.S. Military Veterans Tuesday afternoon.

Keynote speaker Colonel Samuel Nelson, a retired member of the United States Marine Corps, stressed the importance of creating an easy transition for veterans entering the workplace.

Special guest speakers included SMU student veterans Hannah Wood and Andrew Phillips. Phillips also emphasized the significance of going the extra mile to give veterans access to job opportunities when returning from deployment.

“Our veterans are some of the most driven, dedicated and skilled people that we have in this nation. I ask that you all leave here and tell your employer, your politician, your family and friends to bring them in, give them a chance and give them an opportunity,” Phillips said. “They will benefit, the veterans will benefit and we will all benefit as a society.”

Additional speakers included SMU President Turner, Provost Ludden and University Chaplain and Minister Reverand Rankin.

The luncheon took place in the Martha Proctor Mack Grand Ballroom in the Umphrey Lee Center and was sponsored by the SMU Office of the Provost along with the Central University Libraries, the Maguire Center for Ethics and the Office of Student Affairs.