Military Appreciation Night is Friday, Nov. 10 at the 7 p.m. MSOE hockey game against Northland College. In a special ceremony between the first and second periods, the university will install a POW/MIA Chair of Honor in the Kern Center.

Since World War I, more than 91,000 servicemen and women remain unaccounted for. This chair is to remain perpetually empty to help us remember that even though our soldiers are not here, there is still a space for them.

MSOE is installing the chair in honor of Kenneth Stumpf, Wisconsin native, retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and recipient of the United States military’s highest decoration—the Medal of Honor, which he received for his heroic actions in the Vietnam War.

“The MSOE Student Veterans Organization championed this installation for a permanent reminder of sacrifices made by every prisoner of war and missing in action personnel for all students at this university. As veterans of a different generation, our student group wanted to show our brothers and sisters that they have not been forgotten,” said Matt Hughes, president of the MSOE Student Veterans Organization. Hughes was a U.S. Navy 2nd Class Petty Officer and served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on board the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt as a Reactor Operator. He hails from Trenton, Missouri, and is currently a senior at MSOE, majoring in electrical engineering.

Hughes will lead the ceremony which will feature MSOE President John Walz, Ph.D., a color guard and representatives from area veterans groups including the MSOE Student Veterans Organization, DryHootch, Team Red White and Blue, 22Fitness, Veteran Young Professionals Resource Group, Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce and Wisconsin Veterans Network – VetsNet.

In addition to being the first university in Wisconsin to install an official POW/MIA Chair of Honor, MSOE is consistently recognized for its efforts to serve veteran students and ease their transition from the military to college.

• MSOE was named in the 2017 Guide to Top Colleges & Universities by Military Advanced Education & Transition (announced in January)
• MSOE was named a 2017 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media.
• MSOE was named 11th Best College for Veterans in the Midwest by S. News & World Report in 2017

There are currently 117 students at MSOE who are current or former Armed Forces Members, representing all branches of the military, and 101 are members of the Student Veterans Organization. The university has teamed up with the Student Veterans Organization on a number of initiatives to honor and support veterans on campus:

• Two parking spaces in the Broadway Lot have been reserved for veterans.
• Creation of a secure Veterans Lounge in the Campus Center. Recent improvements to the lounge include:
  • Full-size refrigerator installation
  • Updated furniture
  • Military history regalia installation in hallway outside of the lounge