# @nauflagstaff on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CWHXHiNvlIF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/13224896-nauflagstaff-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/ebd25051c7.jpg
- **Posted:** 2021-11-11T00:12:50.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Northern Arizona University (@nauflagstaff) — https://gondola.cc/nauflagstaff

## Caption

#LumberjackSpotlight Meet Zach Hamilton ⁠⁠🇺🇸
- NAU graduate⁠⁠ 🎓
- Coordinator of the Franke Veteran Student Center⁠⁠ 👥
-Served four years in the U.S. Marines⁠⁠ 🪖
⁠⁠
"The events in Afghanistan this year inspired me to reflect, with a more critical view, on the time I spent there and the motivations I had for joining the military in the first place. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Considering the outcome in Afghanistan, I turn to examine the things that I can quantify about my time there and search for lessons that have made me who I am today. That deployment was a short and violent period in my life. From it, I gleaned lessons on empathy, context for human suffering and gratitude for peace. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Returning to the subject of Veterans Day, I think it’s important to raise awareness of the challenges that veterans face upon returning home. Just as important, Veterans Day is a time for us to examine why service was required in the first place and hopefully avoid conflicts in the future. A few months ago, we celebrated my son’s first birthday. Someday I’ll have to tell him about my experience in war, and I hope that he’ll be more willing to listen than I was. I hope that I can teach him that Veterans Day is about acknowledging the sacrifices of our military without glorifying it. I hope to teach him to express gratitude for their service, but still lament that their service was required in the first place. "⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#MyNAUview #StudentVet #StudentSpotlight #StudentVeterans #VeteransDay #NorthernArizonaUniversity

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 1,877
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 14

## Tags

northernarizonauniversity, studentspotlight, mynauview, veteransday, studentveterans, studentvet, lumberjackspotlight

---
Copyright (c) Gondola