SXU, McCarthy Brigade Host Memorial Day Flag-Raising Ceremony

CHICAGO — Saint Xavier University is partnering with the McCarthy Brigade for a special flag-raising ceremony on Memorial Day. Former and current SXU student veterans will help to carry and raise the flag to honor those who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military.

The event will be held at the entrance to the Warde Academic Center on Saint Xavier University's campus, 3700 W. 103rd St., Chicago. The ceremony starts at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, which this year falls on Monday, May 27. All community members are invited to join veterans and first-responders to show their support.

"It means so much to have the opportunity to host this event at Saint Xavier. We've hosted some great events over the past year, including a care package assembly event for service members overseas and an end-of-the-year cookout for our veteran graduates,” said Matthew Maltese, compliance advisor for student veterans. “It's also an honor to partner with a great organization like the McCarthy Brigade – they've done some magnificent things for families who have lost their loved ones in the military.”

The McCarthy Brigade is a local group named after a World War II hero from Beverly, Joseph McCarthy, a Chicago firefighter who risked his life during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The group frequently presents American flags to families who've lost their loved ones serving in the military. Former Student Veterans Alliance president Jose Soto '22 met one of the original members of the McCarthy Brigade, Pat McAuley, at a veterans-related event, and since then, McAuley has been a great resource for SXU's past and current veteran students, even helping them to obtain employment.

"It is an honor for the McCarthy Brigade to be teaming up with the Student Veterans Alliance at Saint Xavier University by paying respect to our veterans on Memorial Day and to honor those who gave their 'tomorrows' for our 'todays,’” McAuley said.' “We are a brigade of military, law enforcement and fire. Our first rule is that it is not about us, it is about the people we help that are serving and those who have served in the past. We also help our wounded and gold star families."

Xavier’s Student Veterans Alliance continues to maintain a strong relationship with McAuley and the McCarthy Brigade and actively looks for community events to participate in.
For more information, contact Maltese at maltese@sxu.edu. To learn more about SXU's commitment to student veterans, visit SXU Military/Veteran Admission.