Better Together: Honoring Veterans through ARI’s VALOR Program

This Veterans Day, I find myself reflecting on what it truly means to honor service, not only through words, but through action and connection. My name is Betsy Dulle, and I am a Public Archaeologist and the Field Project and VALOR Manager at ARI. For me, this meaning comes to life on dig sites alongside Louis Herzner, Archaeology Coordinator and VALOR Director, who served in the Army for 24 years.

Veteran and archaeologist working side by side, united by curiosity and purpose. It’s in these shared moments of effort—trowels in hand; stories exchanged, laughter between tasks—that I see service continue long after the uniform is hung up.

At ARI, the Veterans Archaeological Learning Opportunities and Research (VALOR) Program was created to connect those who have served with the work of uncovering and preserving the past. Veterans bring an incredible depth of experience to the field with discipline, problem-solving, camaraderie, and a sense of purpose that naturally aligns with archaeological work. Through VALOR, they can continue to serve, this time by protecting history and helping to tell the stories that shape our shared heritage.

Since the summer of 2023, we have been fortunate to have four remarkable individuals take part in the VALOR Program. Each of them brought their own perspective, curiosity, and strength to the field, transforming not only the work we did but how I see archaeology itself. Their dedication and enthusiasm reminded me that archaeology is more than a study of the past. It’s an act of recovery, of rebuilding connections and honoring those who came before us. Working alongside these veterans has deeply inspired me and reaffirmed my commitment to pursue veteran recovery work in the future.

This program is more than just fieldwork and lab work; it’s a community. I have seen firsthand how digging together, sharing discoveries, and reflecting on the landscapes we uncover can spark meaningful connections. Every site we work on, from the rolling hills of Ohio to the banks of the river valleys in Indiana, carries pieces of our collective past. Veterans help bring those pieces to light.

This Veterans Day, I want to honor and thank every veteran who has joined us in the field or lab, lent their voice to our research, walked through our doors, and brought their strength and curiosity to the work of archaeology.

VALOR exists because of you, because your service doesn’t end when you take off the uniform. It continues in the stories you help reveal, and the history you help preserve. We are better together.
To all who have served: thank you. Your dedication inspires us every day, and your valor does not go unnoticed.

Betsy Dulle
VALOR & Field Focus
Archaeological Research Institute