NSU honors veterans by naming veteran lounges

Northeastern State University recently celebrated three newly opened veteran student areas with naming ceremonies on the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campuses.

The Corporal Jared Shoemaker Veterans Center is located within the NSU-Broken Arrow Library.

Shoemaker was born and raised in the Tulsa area. He graduated from Tulsa Edison High School and continued his football career at NSU while earning his bachelors degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice in 1999.

Shoemaker became a member of the Marine Corps Reserves in 2003, serving in the Anti-tank Training Company in Broken Arrow. While continuing as a reservist, he enrolled in the Tulsa Police Academy and graduated first in his class in July 2005, after which he was commissioned as a patrol officer.

At the Marine Corps Ball in November 2005, Shoemaker received the Albert Schwab Award for Marine of the Year. In December, as a member of the Anti-tank Training Company, he was mobilized to active duty. His company was deployed to Iraq in 2006. Corporal Shoemaker was killed in action on September 4, 2006 in the Al Anbar province. In November 2006, he was posthumously awarded the Albert Schwab Award for Marine of the Year.

The Colonel John Rahe Veterans Lounge is located in the University Center on the Tahlequah campus.

Rahes link to NSU is strong and can be traced back to 1951, when his grandfather, Dr. Harrell Garrison, became president of the university. Rahes grandmother, father, mother and wife all graduated from NSU, and his mother- and father-in-law were both professors.

Rahe graduated from Tahlequah High School and then attended and graduated with honors from NSU in 1991. Rahe received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps on the steps of Seminary Hall on May 15, 1991, and held a retirement ceremony at Seminary Hall on December 14, 2018.

Rahe was involved in combat missions in support of Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and numerous other theater operations and contingencies throughout his career. He was awarded two Legion of Merit Medals, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Medals (Strike/Flight), three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and numerous campaign and service medals.

Both the center and the lounge offer designated areas for veterans to study, relax and network. The spaces have comfortable furniture, computers and information on veteran benefits and local veteran organizations.

The Private First Class Bryan Jake Chanate Veterans Services office is located within the CASE building on the Tahlequah campus.

Chanate, a full-blooded member of the Kiowa tribe, was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. On January 14, 1971, his unit was ambushed in Vietnam. During the battle, despite being shot six times in his legs, he radioed in the units coordinates in order to get needed support. After this incident, Chanate returned to the U.S. to recover. He received an honorable discharge due to medical reasons. He left the military as an Airborne Ranger and received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, in addition to other medals and commendations.

In the late 1970s, Chanate began working for Northeastern State University in the Veterans Affairs Department and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He was a sponsor for the Native American Student Association and American Indian Symposium committee, and led the effort to save the Kiowa Five Mural in Seminary Hall. Chanate was also one of the first 100 NSU Centurions named on Founders Day in 2009. After 35 years of service as NSUs Veterans Affairs coordinator, he took early retirement in March 2005 due to medical reasons. Chanate died on May 24, 2005, in Tahlequah.

The veterans services office has staff on hand to help veterans find resources for counseling, policies, enrollment, benefits and forms.