CU Boulder Celebrates Veterans Day with Ceremony, Sports Contest

From CU Boulder: At a ceremony this Friday, the University of Colorado Boulder University Memorial Center will mark the contributions and sacrifices of American military veterans, including those who have served on vessels that have honored the Centennial State in name and spirit since World War II.

CU Boulder will honor the nation's veterans, including CU Boulder's own student, staff and faculty veterans, with a Veteran's Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 10 in the University Memorial Center's Glenn Miller Ballroom and during the Nov. 11 CU vs. USC football game.

This year’s UMC event will feature keynote speaker Rear Admiral Richard P. “Rick” Snyder, who is based at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs and is the U.S. Navy’s director of strategy, policy and plans for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).
Among other distinguished guests in attendance will be WWII veterans Jack Paris and Ken Jones, who issued a “challenge” to crewmembers who will serve on the USS Colorado SSN-788, a new submarine to be commissioned next year with a plaque installed on its bulkhead featuring Jones’ inspirational words. The UMC will display the stainless-steel plaque at its annual Veterans Day ceremony.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, CU will host the USC Trojans at the Veteran Appreciation football game. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Folsom Field.

The game will include:

• Recognition of WWII veterans.
• An oath of enlistment ceremony of 20 joint-service recruits on the football field by the commanding officer of the USAF ROTC.
• The CU Boulder Student Veteran Association president will be the honoree captain for the game opening coin toss.
• The CU Boulder Air Force ROTC detachment will perform its annual POW/MIA run, a 24-hour run for remembrance of American prisoners of war and those who have gone missing in action. Members of the detachment will run with POW/MIA and American flags for a full 24 hours for this cause prior to the game. The event will culminate with one cadet running wiht the POW/MIA flag into the opening ceremonies of the game.

CU Boulder is home to more than 1,000 student veterans and veteran-dependent students and more than 300 faculty and staff vets. The campus recently launched the Veteran Ambassador Program and Summer Bridge Program to help CU Boulder student veterans acclimate to campus. “Veterans Day is a day of unity. As chancellor, it is my privilege to encourage all of us to attend these events to broaden our horizons and honor our veterans, not only those on our campus but also those serving worldwide,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “Please take a moment in the coming days to reflect on the service of these dedicated individuals who have fought and sacrificed to preserve our freedoms.”

Photo courtesy of CU Boulder