Brig. Gen. Michael Fantini smiled as his daughter walked down the aisle. Elizabeth looked ahead with a straight face — her eyes set on Chancellor Kent Syverud and Jake VanMarter.

Elizabeth stopped at the end of the aisle, delivered the U.S. flag to VanMarter, who then gave it to Syverud. Elizabeth turned and marched away — she had done her job. Now, her father was about to do his.

Michael Fantini served as the keynote speaker of this year’s Veterans Day Ceremony at Syracuse University. His daughter, Elizabeth, is an Air Force ROTC cadet and a sophomore psychology major at the university. On this Veterans Day, the two were able to put aside their busy schedules — one as a college student; the other working in the Pentagon — and have a day they won’t soon forget.

It started before the sun rose, on the Quad in front of Hendricks Chapel. The two took part in the Veterans Day Run along with other cadets and administrators. About 10 minutes before 7 a.m., the two crossed the finish line together.

About four hours later, roughly 25 minutes into the annual ceremony, Elizabeth brought the U.S. flag that had been flown in Kabul, Afghanistan on Oct. 21 to the center of the Chapel.

“I was so honored when I was asked,” she said. “The minute they asked I said, ‘of course.’ I want to participate in a lot of events with my father. He’s someone I look up to a lot, especially in the service, and someone I aspire to continue to be like in the service.”

Later Wednesday, the brigadier general enlisted his cadet daughter into the Air Force. Elizabeth said she was notified after receiving a scholarship a few weeks ago that she could immediately enlist or wait a few days and have her father do it.

“I immediately decided to wait for my dad,” she said.

“Just a fantastic opportunity,” Michael Fantini said.

The brigadier general will soon return to Washington, D.C. where he helps formulate defense policy and national security strategy for 14 Middle Eastern countries. For Elizabeth, she’ll continue to follow in her father’s footsteps.

“Having him come up here — even for just a day — getting to go on the run, then the ceremony, it’s all worked out really well,” she said.

Published on November 11, 2015 at 11:19 pm

Contact Justin: jmatting@syr.edu | @jmattingly306