The University of Virginia (UVA) has reinstated its annual Veterans Day tradition of a 21-gun salute to honor fallen service members and admitted that it “made a mistake” by cancelling it this year.
As CNSNews.com reported on Veterans Day, November 11, 2019, the University of Virginia (UVA) had cancelled its tradition of honoring fallen veterans with a 21-gun salute on Veterans Day, citing concerns that it will disrupt classes and frighten students.
On Saturday, UVA Pres. Jim Ryan released a statement announcing that the 21-gun salute had been reinstated and offering “sincere apologies” to those who objected to the cancellation of the tradition honoring the nation’s veterans:
“Sometimes you make mistakes. Although motivated by good intentions, I believe we made a mistake this year in excluding the 21-gun salute from our Veterans Day ceremony. Having attended the ceremony, and having consulted with the Commander in charge, I am confident that we can accommodate a 21-gun salute, which had been a meaningful feature of the ceremony in years past.
“We will therefore reinstate the 21-gun salute next year, and we will make sure to minimize any disruptions to classes and communicate the details of the ceremony in advance. Thanks to all who shared their views about this topic, and my sincere apologies to any who may have doubted our commitment to honoring our veterans, whom we hold in the highest esteem and who deserve our gratitude.”