Fort Lewis College students, faculty and staff honored military veterans on campus Friday during a series of events organized by the Student Veterans Club.
Events included a Missing Man Table ceremony, set in memory of fallen, missing or imprisoned military service members, and an Honor Board for people to remember friends and family who are currently in the military or have served in the past.
Byron Dare, emeritus professor of political science and Vietnam veteran, spoke in front of the clock tower after the playing of taps.
Dare said only 33 percent of people younger than 30 have a direct tie to a service member.
“I hope we can shed light on the cultural divide between society and military in the United States,” he said. “Young students have had limited contact with the military and veterans, and they often view veterans in stereotypical images.”
Dare said the significance of Veterans Day is often lost to blowout sales offered by department stores.
“The casual observer might attribute Memorial Day to beer sales and Veterans Day to mattress sales, and that is the sad irony considering the number of homeless veterans in our country,” he said.
He called Veterans Day a time to “transcend the color of your uniform.”
“You veterans bring a wealth of experience to this campus that is hopefully recognized and honored,” Dare said. “I am in awe of your multiple deployments, and the military’s slow but steady march toward gender equality.”
The ceremony concluded with a reading of “In Flanders Fields,” a poem written by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian physician, during World War I.
The poem’s reference to the red poppies that grew over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the remembrance poppy becoming one of the most recognized symbols for soldiers killed in combat.
mrupani@durangoherald.com
Veterans Day events
Breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m., Southwest Memorial Hospital, 1311 N. Mildred Road, Cortez.
Parade, 11 a.m., Main Avenue, downtown Durango.
Open houses, 12:30 p.m. at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1550 Main Ave., and the American Legion, 878 East Second Ave.
Celebration, 3 p.m., including speakers and music by the Cannondolls, Durango Transit Center, 250 W. Eighth St.
Fireworks, 5:30 p.m. Some seating will be provided for the concert and fireworks. But residents are encouraged to bring their own chairs. The parking lot at the Transit Center will close at noon ahead of the afternoon events.
