Every year, residents of Lucca, in Tuscany, celebrate the end of Nazi occupation by honoring the Americans who came to liberate it -- the U.S. Army 92nd Infantry Division. They were the only segregated division to fight in Europe during World War II. This story along with those from original African-American members of the U.S. Marine Corps were shared in "Stories of Unsung Black Military Heroes," presented by the USC School of Social Work. Read more

With three children all active-duty Army, MSW@USC student Shawn Cervantes went back to school to help her family. "Aside from being there for them as their mother, I wanted to be able to understand them as soldiers," she said. What started out as strictly personal grew bigger. Her studies led her to a community with an underserved women veteran population -- and a new mission. 

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Ron Astor, the Richard M. and Ann L. Thor Professor of Urban Social Development at the USC School of Social Work, is an expert in school violence and safety. His most recent work has focused on school climate in military-connected schools. The California Social Welfare Archives presented him with the George D. Nickel Award for Outstanding Professional Services by a Social Worker. Read more  

Nearly 43 percent of the United States' veteran population is 65 and older. The post-9/11 generation, which is surviving wounds once considered fatal, will have to grapple with issues of aging along with issues of combat. USC School of Social Work Clinical Associate Professor Eugenia Weiss is one of the guest editors for a special issue on aging military veterans in the Journal of Gerontological Social Work, which is currently receiving submissions. Read more