RU to Observe Veterans Day with Ceremony, Tributes

American Flag

Radford University will honor and salute current and former military personnel with a Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 12, in the Hurlburt Student Center.

Col. Wesley Lee Fox, a Medal of Honor recipient who retired from the Marine Corps in 1993 after 43 years of service, will be the guest speaker. Fox is a graduate of the Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, the Marine Command and Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, Pa. In addition to the Medal of Honor, Fox has received two Legion of Merit awards, a Bronze Star with Combat V, four Purple Heart medals and numerous commendations.

Col. David Chase of the Virginia Tech and Radford University ROTC program also will speak. The ceremony will include a wreath presentation to honor fallen military service members. RU's Greek Life will provide the wreath.

The Radford University ROTC Color Guard will conduct a presentation of colors, and an a cappella group from Virginia Tech will sing the "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Roy Pagans, a military veteran who is president of Radford University Veterans Student Organizations, will serve as the event's master of ceremonies. The RU Veterans Student Organizations comprise a social network for veterans, dependents, cadets and all individuals interested in the military.

A free lunch will be provided for all veterans by RU's Dining Experience at Dalton Hall following the ceremony.

The Veterans Day ceremony is sponsored by RU's Veterans Student Organizations with additional support from Student Activities and the university's Military Resource Center.

In the week preceding Veterans Day, the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences (CHBS) and ROTC are encouraging the campus community to offer holiday wishes to service personnel currently serving overseas and to their families. ROTC volunteers will be in the Hurlburt Student Center each day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Nov. 9 to provide holiday cards to individuals wishing to write and send messages to local men and women currently serving in the U.S. military.

Radford University's contribution to the education of veterans is recognized in the 2013 Guide to Military Friendly Schools.

To learn more about the Veterans Day ceremony, contact Natalie Kiddie in the Military Resource Center at (540) 831-5002 or nkiddie@radford.edu.

Nov 6, 2012
Chad Osborne
(540) 831-7761
caosborne@radford.edu