Community to celebrate Veterans Day

One year ago, sophomore Nicholas Bielinski was in the U.S. Air Force. Today he is studying at IU.

Bielinski is one of more than 300 IU students who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. The number also includes dependents of disabled or deceased veterans.
These students will have the opportunity to not only commemorate veterans, but also themselves.

In celebration of Veterans Day, the Union Board will hold a reception from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. today in the Indiana Memorial Union.

The event will highlight current students who are veterans, as well as historical figures throughout IU’s history who served in the military. It will also allow students to write letters of support to men and women who currently serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, said Margaret Baechtold, director of IU’s Veterans Support Services.

Bielinski, president of IU’s Military Veterans Club, said the organization acts as a social link between students who are serving and have served in the military. For Bielinski, who served four years in the U.S. Air Force, being a veteran is important, but he doesn’t let that define who he is today.

“Being a veteran doesn’t change who you are,” Bielinski said. “(It) just gives you a better insight into what we’re fighting for.”

IU alumnus Jeff Memmer started the Military Veterans Club in 2003 after coming to orientation as a freshman. He asked for information on students who were in the military, but he didn’t find the support group he was looking for.

Memmer said students who are serving in some form of military service or have served have different experiences than most students.

“There is an emotional experience that they have gone through,” Memmer said. “Some of them carry the weight of that experience.”

Baechtold said there is a lot of paperwork involved in being a student while serving in the military.

Students who are in the National Guard might often experience instability between their military and civilian lifestyles. These students often have to leave school during the semester for training or for deployment, Baechtold said. The Veterans Support Services helps students withdraw from classes without penalty.

Memmer said as an undergraduate student, he would fill out paperwork every month to get the money to pay for college through the GI Bill.

The GI Bill provides financial aid toward education for veterans, service members and dependents of disabled or deceased veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site.

Bielinski said he does not plan to continue his military career in the future, but he said he will always have his military experience.

“There is always that pride,” Bielinski said. “You can always go back and share stories, but it isn’t quite who you are anymore.”