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Sean Spicer joins Liberty University in honoring the nation’s heroes

 

To conclude Military Emphasis Week at Liberty University on Wednesday, students took time to honor veterans during a special Convocation featuring guest speaker and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

Before Spicer spoke, members of Liberty’s ROTC presented the colors, and the Liberty Worship Collective led the student body in the national anthem. Liberty President Jerry Falwell recognized a group of local veterans in attendance, and the student body gave them a standing ovation.

(Military Emphasis Week is sponsored annually by Liberty’s Office of Military Affairs. At Monday’s Convocation, students heard from military interrogator Eric Maddox, who was instrumental in the capture of Saddam Hussein. View an updated photo gallery of Military Emphasis Week events below.)

Falwell introduced Spicer, who served in the U.S Navy Reserve as a public affairs officer for 19 years.

“In spite of everything that Sean’s accomplished, the thing that he is most proud of is being a veteran who served our country,” Falwell said.

Later in the Convocation, Falwell also introduced two special guests: Turning Point USA’s founder and executive director, Charlie Kirk, and its communications director, Candace Owens. The young political activists hosted a special event on campus earlier in week. They spoke of their love for America and the ideals it was built upon, urging students to be vigilant in standing up for their beliefs. After regularly speaking at colleges across the country, they said coming to Liberty was “refreshing” and “a blessing.” (Owens spoke at Convocation earlier in the semester.)

Spicer began by sharing how he grew interested in politics as a student at Connecticut College and entered an extensive career in government work.

“I felt myself challenged,” he said. “I started volunteering and found this call to service, this passion. I loved the idea of being involved in politics. … I loved the idea of getting involved in something where there was a fight.”

After college, Spicer began working on different political campaigns and on Capitol Hill.

“I started to love this idea of working with the media,” Spicer said. “You know every day whether or not your story is getting out there. You don’t have to wait until Election Day.”

Realizing he needed more experience, Spicer took a press secretary job on a campaign in Pennsylvania. Though the candidate eventually dropped out of a primary race, it was the jumpstart Spicer needed to move forward in his career.

But he said he still had a desire to serve his country through military service. A friend encouraged him to apply for a position in the Navy Reserve.

“It allowed me to fulfill this sense of duty and service that politics wasn’t scratching,” Spicer said. “I loved public service. I loved fighting for conservative values and ideas and standing up for values I believed in. But there was some greater sense that I felt by joining the Navy — it was bigger than a cause; it was for our country and liberty.”

After the Navy Reserve, he served with the Republican National Committee as communications director and chief strategist. He served as White House press secretary in 2017. When he resigned from that post, he said it was the first time he didn’t have to speak for someone else and could begin speaking up for causes he was passionate about. He is working with several organizations that help veterans, including the Yellow Ribbon Fund, the Independence Fund, and Operation New Hope.

“The idea of being able to give back and recognize how many people in this country are selflessly serving this country is so crucial at this time in our society,” Spicer told the students. “I urge you to stay involved and do what you can to make this country a great place to live.”

Military Emphasis Week 2018

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