MBA students in the Georgetown McDonough Military Association (MMA) traveled to Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at one of the graves to honor veterans. Arlington is a United States military cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., in whose 624 acres have been buried the dead of the nation’s conflicts beginning with the American Civil War, as well as the departed from earlier wars.
The students chose the grave of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service alumnus Major General John Liu Fugh, BS ’57, for their wreath-laying ceremony. Students Brendon Baker and Ryan Ordway planned the activity, which MMA Co-President James Zakar coordinated. In total, 14 MBA students and MBA Career Center Associate Director Lawrence Verbiest were present for the ceremony.
“As we were about the return to campus, a woman slowly walked up to us and was very surprised to see the wreath,” said Verbiest. “She didn’t say anything at first and became very emotional. I asked her if she was Major General Fugh’s spouse, and she nodded yes. We told her that we were from Georgetown and had chosen her husband’s grave to place a wreath for this year’s wreath-laying ceremony. She was overjoyed, and we were overwhelmed by the coincidence. She went on to tell us about her husband. It was amazing timing and coincidence.”
The MMA is a club run by student-veterans with the aim of accelerating the transition of its members from military service to new careers through internal membership, integration into the MSB Admissions & Career Center activities, and promotion of veterans to the MSB & Georgetown University student population at large. The MMA also seeks to build a strong alumni network, invite distinguished speakers to campus, and host exclusive networking events with industry recruiters.