More than 100 people gathered at Appalachian State University’s Veterans Memorial for the university’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony. The event featured remarks by App State Chancellor Sheri Everts and keynote speaker Barbara Ashley, a military spouse and former App State student. Photo by Chase Reynolds
BOONE, N.C. — Standing beside the Veterans Memorial on Appalachian State University’s campus, former student Barbara Ashley recounted one of her earliest memories — standing in her front yard at Fort Bragg as she watched soldiers, including her father, jump out of airplanes.
Barbara shared her recollections and insights about the experiences of military spouses and families at the university’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony, where more than 100 people gathered to honor and commend those who have served in the armed forces.
The ceremony included remarks from Chancellor Sheri Everts and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs J.J. Brown.
“By recognizing this important occasion, we are expressing gratitude to all veterans, and especially to our campus heroes,” Everts said, noting that App State employs 76 staff and faculty veterans and enrolls 384 student veterans and nearly 750 military spouses and dependents.
App State observed Veterans Day 2021 with remarks by Chancellor Sheri Everts, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs J.J. Brown and special guest Barbara Ashley, an entrepreneur and military spouse who is married to App State alumnus Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert “Bob” Ashley '84.
Barbara, an entrepreneur, spent 35 years as an active-duty military wife to Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert “Bob” Ashley — recipient of App State’s Distinguished Alumni Award and former director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
During the ceremony, cadets in App State’s Army ROTC presented the colors, and Brent Bingham, arts production specialist and lecturer in App State’s Hayes School of Music, performed the national anthem.
Tradition of military support
Brown said the university has been nationally recognized for its work to support veterans.
On Veterans Day in 2016, the university opened the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center. This center gives military students access to mentoring, tutoring and support designed for their distinct needs, according to Brown.
Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts, far right, thanks all veterans and active-duty military members for their service during App State’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Chase Reynolds
During Appalachian State University’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony, Barbara Ashley, far right, speaks about the experiences of military families and spouses. Ashley is an entrepreneur, former App State student and wife of Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Ashley. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Barbara Ashley, left, and her husband, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Robert Ashley, are pictured near Appalachian State University’s Veterans Memorial. At the university’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony, Barbara shared insights into the experiences of military families and spouses. Photo by Chase Reynolds
App State has been designated a Military Friendly® School since 2010, he added, and this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked App State second for Southern universities in the Best Colleges for Veterans category.
Perspectives from a military spouse
Barbara thanked the audience for taking time to “pause and remember the significance of this day” and offered insights into her life as a daughter, wife, niece, cousin, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law of veterans.
“My first hero, like many girls, was my dad,” she said, explaining that her father was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division at North Carolina’s Fort Bragg.
She said her second hero is her husband, who, like many service members, spent his military career working “16-hour days, seven days a week, and sometimes longer.” Due to these extended hours, Barbara said veterans “often miss things that many of us take for granted” such as “birthdays, anniversaries, births of children ... and App State football.”
“Our veterans are a representation of all the goodness in this country,” Barbara said. “They are selfless heroes who put the needs of our nation before themselves and their families.”
Appalachian State University Army ROTC Cadet Battalion Commander Samuel Bourne, far left, stands at attention alongside fellow ROTC cadets during the presentation of the colors at App State’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony. Bourne is a senior criminal justice major from Wilmington. Photo by Chase Reynolds
Brent Bingham, arts production specialist and lecturer in the Hayes School of Music, left, performs the national anthem during Appalachian State University’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony. Photo by Chase Reynolds
She shared stories of military families she has met over the last three decades, including “dual military” families, in which both partners are actively serving. At the end of one of Bob’s deployments, she witnessed one of her most prominent reminders that veterans and their families serve together: Barbara went to welcome home the soldiers and saw a banner at headquarters that read, “Welcome home, mommy and daddy! Love, Julianna.”
She challenged each person in attendance to consider the sacrifices of veterans and to find ways to show appreciation for their service.
Appalachian State University’s Austin Reed, a senior criminal justice major from Jefferson, carries the flag for the presentation of the colors at the university’s 2021 Veterans Day Ceremony. Reed is part of the App State Army ROTC’s Pershing Rifles, the university’s drill and ceremony organization. Photo by Chase Reynolds
About Barbara Ashley
Barbara, a native of Raleigh, attended App State from 1979–82. There, she met Bob, whom she married in 1985. She spent the next three decades as an active-duty military spouse, completing more than 17 relocations throughout Bob’s military career.
She graduated from the ATI Career Training Center in 1990 with an associate degree for travel agents. Since 2011, she has owned Where in the World Vacations, a home-based travel agency. Barbara and Bob have two children, Sean and Justin, and two grandchildren, Arthur and Keaton.
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A Military Friendly® School since 2010
Since 2010, VIQTORY (formerly known as Victory Media), the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded Appalachian the designation of Military Friendly® School. The designation places Appalachian in the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. In addition to a number of existing services, the university opened the Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center in November 2016.
About the Department of Military Science and Leadership
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, Appalachian’s Department of Military Science and Leadership is home to the Mountaineer Battalion. Established in 1969, the program provides students with training to develop self-discipline, physical stamina and poise, as well as the organizational and motivational skills that contribute to success in any career. Students who complete the ROTC program earn credits for a minor in military science and leadership and are commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard upon graduation. Learn more at https://rotc.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
