NEW YORK, N.Y. – U-Haul International Inc. sponsored the NASDAQ closing bell on March 27 with Jeff Sonberg representing the industry leader in do-it-yourself moving and self-storage in honor of Vietnam Veterans Day.
Sonberg, Marketing Company President for U-Haul Company of Manhattan/Bronx, stood alongside United War Veterans Council President Vince McGowan and ended a week of trading by touching the digital button inside NASDAQ’s MarketSite Studio overlooking Times Square.
U-Haul MCP Jeff Sonberg outside NASDAQ MarketSite Studio on March 27, 2015. Courtesy: © 2015, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
The ceremony not only signified U-Haul Company’s return to the NASDAQ bell-ringing platform but also kicked off a weekend of Vietnam Veterans Day commemorations in the Big Apple.
“The United War Veterans Council contacted U-Haul and wanted to kick off Vietnam Veterans Day, and what better way to kick it off than closing the NASDAQ,” Sonberg said.
U-Haul (NASDAQ: UHAL), which is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2015, is ranked annually among the nation’s top military-friendly employers and supports veterans through countless events, organizations and donations.
U-Haul and the UWVC, a New York-based non-profit dedicated to mobilizing efforts to honor, support and serve America’s veterans, have shared a common mission and close community partnership for approximately 12 years.
Jay Heller, IPO Execution Officer at NASDAQ, greeted a large contingency of attendees and congratulated U-Haul and the UWVC for their contributions and service. Sonberg and McGowan each delivered some brief remarks as part of the ceremony.
“U-Haul was founded in 1945 by World War II veteran L.S. ‘Sam’ Shoen,” Sonberg said. “His legacy continues with our company-wide commitment to hiring veterans and supporting veterans’ causes. We join the United War Veterans Council as we honor our Vietnam Veterans and their commitment to help the next generation of veterans.”
McGowan noted: “Vietnam Veterans have promised that never again will one generation of veterans abandon another. We are keeping that pledge by ensuring that our latest veterans receive the care, benefits and opportunities they have earned, and by mobilizing the public to honor, support and serve America’s veterans.”
U-Haul Team Members at the NASDAQ ceremony (L-R): Kaela Benitez, Ronald Coleman, Jeff Sonberg, Will Wolff III, Clifton Campbell, Mustafa Dorado. Courtesy: © 2015, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
Attendees included UWVC board members, Vietnam Veterans of America Manhattan Chapter 126 members, representatives of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
There were six U-Haul Team Members on hand from Marketing Company Offices 802 and 803: Sonberg, Will Wolff III, Kaela Benitez, Ronald Coleman, Clifton Campbell and Mustafa Dorado.
Sonberg brought his daughters, Karlie and Jenna, to enjoy the festivities as well.
“The highlight, even for my daughters, was the relationship we had with the veterans there,” Sonberg said. “Everybody there was a veteran, whether it was Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan. My daughters weren’t in (the military), but I was and they were impressed with how everything was going so smoothy and came together.”
In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation declaring March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day.
More than 58,000 American lives were lost during the Vietnam War. This year marks the 50th anniversary of U.S. escalation in Southeast Asia with the arrival of 3,500 Marines in South Vietnam in March 1965.
All photos below courtesy of: © 2015, The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.
