With Veteran’s Day coming up, UTM students and veterans are preparing to honor the day in various ways.
For one, on that Monday, the Skyhawk Veteran’s Association (SVA) has planned for Lt. Gen. and UTM alumni John Castlelaw to speak at Watkins Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. By listening to this speaker, students will hopefully gain insight into the dedication of veterans across the nation.
Many students, especially those who have the experience of being a veteran, find Veteran’s Day to be a special reminder of the sacrifices made.
“Veteran’s Day is a day to celebrate what a veteran does, not just for America, but the world. We serve our country from all corners of the world, staying up all hours of the night to keep freedom free. Veteran’s Day, to me, is a celebration of our turmoil to keep our family and country safe,” said former Veteran and UTM sophomore Paden Stubblefield.
However, the appreciation of veterans doesn’t have to stop after Veteran’s Day. SVA makes it possible for veterans and those who want to honor veterans to have a year-long commitment.
“Our mission is to serve all veterans on campus and in the community,” said SVA president David Crum.
According to Crum, to be a member of SVA, all you need is a willingness to show up to meetings on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. in UC 217.
“We just don’t take veterans; we take anybody that supports the military. Our main goal is just to try to get the word out to help veterans and do as much as we possibly can for the veterans in our community,” said SVA spokesperson Justin Jones.
In fulfilling their mission, however, SVA has found some challenges in their small size of about 15 members.
“There are a tremendous amount of assets and potential for our organization, but it depends on numbers; we need some numbers and some growth. We want to encourage every veteran on campus to at least join our organization and participate whenever they have time or whatever they desire to do. … Once we get 35 members, then we get to become affiliated with the Student Veteran’s Association, a national organization,” Crum said.
However, despite their size, they still manage to accomplish great things, such as service projects for veterans in the area.
“One of our stated goals is that we want to have a service project every semester. After [last] spring semester ended, we went to the courthouse in Dresden and did some landscaping work around [their war memorial] to get it ready for their Memorial Day program,” Crum said.
Also, in the next month or so, SVA plans to host a Christmas present drive for charity.
According to Jones and Crum, Veteran’s Day and serving veterans is important for many reasons.
“Veteran’s Day is just about recognizing the people that have put their life on the line to make sure that people enjoy the freedoms that prior military and veterans have laid before us,” Jones said.
“All veterans are proud of their service and share a deep commitment to their community and country. At any one moment in America’s history, there has always been a small fraction of her populace that heeded the call of military service. This simple fact alone is what fuels the camaraderie that we share with one another and the intrinsic satisfaction that we feel everyday. Our only other desire is for the American public to recognize our service just one day a year,” Crum said. “I am reminded of a bumper sticker I used to see as child, ‘If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read it in English, thank a veteran.’”
