UMass Lowell Honors Veterans With Flag Unfurling
The Veterans Day ceremony on Monday included a giant flag unfurled from the Martin T. Meehan Student Center, with a flag-raising planned Thursday.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Military
UMass Lowell held a Veterans Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 9, honoring military veterans with the unfurling of a giant American flag from the third-floor balcony of the Martin T. Meehan Student Center. The university will also raise a flag at the Yankee Division 26th Infantry monument on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Why it matters
The university counts more than 1,000 veterans and active military members attending classes each year, making veteran recognition a visible part of campus life in Lowell. The Thursday flag raising ties the commemoration to the local history of the 26th Infantry Division.
The university reports more than 1,000 veterans and active military members attending classes each year, a count from institutional records rather than an independent survey. Attendance at the Monday ceremony and the Thursday event at 11 a.m. was not reported.
The players
UMass Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the host of the ceremony and the flag raising.
Julie Chen
Julie Chen is the chancellor of UMass Lowell and addressed attendees at the Veterans Day ceremony.
The details
The Monday ceremony featured a student singer performing the national anthem, speeches by UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen and student and faculty leaders, and a color presentation by the UMass Lowell Air Force ROTC Detachment No. 345. Alex Yarter, president of the Student Veterans Alliance, and Ted Serozynsky, director of military and veterans' services, were among those involved.
Timeline
Monday, Nov. 9: Veterans Day ceremony held at UMass Lowell
Thursday, Nov. 12, 11 a.m.: Flag raising at the Yankee Division 26th Infantry monument
Military Heritage
The 26th Infantry Division, formed in 1917 as the first division made up mainly of New England units, is the namesake of the Yankee Division monument in Lowell. The monument, erected in 2001, anchors the Thursday flag raising to that regional military lineage.
Lowell residents and students can attend the Thursday flag raising at the Yankee Division 26th Infantry monument at 11 a.m. The event gives the public a direct opportunity to observe the local commemoration.
The takeaway
Recognition events like these give the campus community a regular, visible way to honor the veterans who study and serve alongside them. Attending local commemorations is a simple way to connect with that history.
What happens next
UMass Lowell will raise a flag at the Yankee Division 26th Infantry monument on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m.
Further reading
For more on veterans' recognition, see the Military section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Boston Herald.
