UNC honors Veterans with 'military tribute' wall

Jason Jones

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UNC honors Veterans with 'military tribute' wall image

In accordance with observing Veterans Day, the North Carolina Tar Heels unveiled a special tribute to military veterans at the Kenan Football center. The “Honoring Our Military” wall was revealed on Tuesday.

This ‘wall’ commemorates commitment and sacrifice made by former Tar Heels. The wall includes names, military branches, years of service, football positions, and seasons at Chapel Hill.

According to Sports Illustrated, sixty-one names were on display during the Tuesday dedication ceremony. The program confirmed they will continue to add names and details as more contributing members are identified and celebrated in the years to come.

Football head coach Bill Belichick was on hand for the dedication. The head coach has always been forthright about his connection to the military and his reverence for it. Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Maryland where his father served as an assistant coach for United States Naval Academy. Belichick cut his teeth as a football mind, learning to break down film in and around the Naval Academy.

“I’m very proud to be part of the recognition that we’re going to put up here in the football building as we commemorate Veterans Day here,” Belichick said. “Veterans Day is something that we’ve spent time working with our players on.”

Belichick was joined for the dedication but Staff Sgt. Veneta Wheeler of the UNC Army ROTC for the unveiling. UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts, Lt. Col. Lisa Klekowski of the Army ROTC and Rob Palermo, director of the Carolina Veterans Resource Center, were also in attendance.

The association with honoring men and women of military service fits with UNC even beyond Belichick’s connection to service branches. Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer and Assistant Sports Performance Director are both recognized on the wall. From 1990 to 1994 Priefer flew helicopter missions in Operation Desert Storm and Somalia. Baker served as a Navy Seal Teams from 2001-2023.

On the field, Belichick’s Tar Heels have won two in a row after a less than stellar start to the Belichick era. On Saturday UNC will travel the 76 miles down I-40 to play Wake Forest. If the Tar Heels can win that game, they would find themselves on the first winning streak of their season. That game will kick off at 4:30pm ET and broadcast on the CW Network.

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Contributing Writer