Veterans Honored at USU

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By: Alison Baugh in The Utah Statesman, 11/14/07, Section: Campus News

Celebrating what Lt. Col. Michael Swift called a day to honor Americans for their love of country and willingness to serve, a small crowd gathered outside the Spectrum at the Veterans Memorial Monday morning [Nov. 12].

"Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service," Swift said while opening the ceremony.

The ceremony was put on by the USU Air Force Detachment 860, Army ROTC Jim Bridger Detachment and USU Post 12 of the American Legion. During the ceremony, the USU Air Force ROTC Honor Guard performed the laying of the wreath ceremony and raised a flag. Cadet Owsowitz played the taps, and Ronda Thompson sang the national anthem.

Randy Spetman, USU athletic director, a colonel in the Army and featured speaker, urged the audience, "Let us not forget." Among the events Spetman wanted them to remember were the Civil War, World War I, the enemy attacking Pearl Harbor and those people who will forever rest in the Arizona at the ocean's floor, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, raising the flag at Hiroshima, Vietnam — the longest and least welcomed war at home — Desert Storm, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"My faith grew strong as I saw this nation pull together like never before to protect our way of life," Spetman said of 9/11.

Those who are serving today share the same constitutional ideals as those of our Founding Fathers, Spetman said.

The veterans carry freedom with them and have proven themselves to be full of character, compassion and a drive to overcome setbacks and battles, Spetman said.

"Let us not forget why we battle for our freedoms," Spetman said. "Let us not forget, but let us celebrate with all our hearts and thank God for all we have."

Those veterans in attendance and families who have members currently serving were honored for the sacrifices they have made or are making today.

At 99 years old, Dode Reese is the oldest known living USU ROTC veteran and was in attendance, as he said he has been for many of the past years. Reese graduated from USU, then called Utah Agricultural College, in 1932 with a degree in business and ROTC. After graduation he went on to serve in the Army and later the Air Force.

"We had great friends and leaders that were in the ROTC," Reese said.

Fourteen cannon shots were fired in honor of each war USU veterans have fought in. These include the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Invasion of Grenada-Operation Urgent Fury, Invasion of Panama-Operation Just Cause, Invasion of Kosovo-Operation Allied Force, Invasion of Somalia-Operation Restore Hope, the Gulf War-Operation Desert Storm, Iraq-Operation Desert Fox, War on Terrorism-Operation Enduring Freedom, Homeland Security-Operation Noble Eagle, and the Iraq War-Operation Iraqi Freedom.

-alison.baugh@aggiemail.usu.edu