A welcome to the military
Harvard President Drew Faust faced a tough crowd at the Faculty Club yesterday — tough as in “Don’t mess with these people.” The occasion was the University’s now-traditional fall welcome to military veterans and active-duty service members. More than 300 veterans are Harvard students this year. Others, still active-duty service members, are fellows at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) and elsewhere. In the crowd of 100 was at least one Navy Seal, one Air Force-enlisted man who helped to steer drones to targets, and row after row of Army, Navy, and Marine Corps veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There also was a scattering of veterans from other countries, including Great Britain and Australia. “I hope your presence on campus will lead to a greater understanding of what it means to be a soldier and a scholar,” said Faust, whose own family has seen four generations of military service. “I hope your...