Syracuse University will honor Class of 1924 alumnus and late Sgt. William Shemin, who received the Medal of Honor in June, at a ceremony on campus Friday.

The ceremony, which will take place at 1 p.m. at the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs, will be officiated by SU administrators, including Chancellor Kent Syverud and Vice Chancellor for Veterans and Military Affairs Mike Haynie. A bronze plaque will also be unveiled to recognize Shemin’s receipt of the Medal of Honor. The plaque will be hung on the SU campus “for generations to come.”

Members of the Shemin family will also attend the ceremony, according to a release.

“The ceremony seeks to memorialize Sergeant William Shemin at Syracuse University and ensure that future Syracusans know his story,” said Executive Director of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs Ron Novack in a release.

Shemin was awarded the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on June 2. He became the first SU alumnus to be awarded the highest military award for valor in the U.S.

Two of Shemin’s daughters, including Elsie Shemin-Roth — who advocated for years for her father to receive the distinction — received the honor in June on behalf of their late father.

Shemin entered the Army on Oct. 2, 1917 and his division arrived in France in May 1918. A year after his actions that earned him the Medal of Honor, Shemin was honorably discharged from the Army. He was previously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross— the second highest military award that can be given to a member of the Army.

Following the ceremony honoring Shemin, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VetSuccess on Campus program will hold an open house from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Published on October 20, 2015 at 10:09 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306