Community members, current and past military service members and students in IU’s Army ROTC program honored Veterans Day Thursday morning by the flagpole in front of Franklin Hall.
At around 7:30 a.m., the IU Air Force and Army ROTC Color Guard raised the American flag as the national anthem played over speakers. Col. Santee B. Vasquez, commander of Crane Army Ammunition Activity, said military service is part of IU’s story.
“Each year we set aside this day to celebrate and pay tribute to veterans for their devotion, patriotism, selfless service and sacrifice on behalf of us all,” Vasquez said during the ceremony. “On Veterans Day, we honor the brave men and women from all walks of life and all services who have stepped forward to defend their country throughout our history. This day belongs to them.”
Vasquez said she originally planned to join the military just for a few years because she had family members that served in the military. She never expected to still be serving today.
“It gives me the ability to be part of something bigger than myself,” Vasquez said. “It will be absolutely tough at times, but it is the most rewarding thing I have done.”
Vasquez spoke about the history of Veterans Day and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the tomb, which serves as a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice some veterans have made, she said.
Veterans Day is celebrated on the anniversary of the armistice that ended the fight along the western front in World War I on Nov. 11, 1918. Congress made it an annual national holiday, originally known as Armistice Day, in 1938 to honor everyone who has served in the past and present, Vasquez said.
“We must, as a nation, ensure that the service and sacrifice of our veterans are never overlooked or forgotten,” Vasquez said.
The Center for Veteran and Military Students and the IU Army and Air Force ROTC organized the event, which has taken place annually for the past few years.
Kimberly Bloodgood, the director of the center, served in the Air Force in the early 1990s. She said there are about 1,000 veterans in IU’s student population, in addition to faculty and staff who have also served.
“We knew that something was missing for Veterans Day because we do have a population of military on campus, and we wanted to make sure that we recognize that population at an annual gathering,” Bloodgood said.
The day can help people remember other aspects of military service that are often overlooked, Bloodgood said.
“It means that people haven’t forgotten us and what we’re about,” Bloodgood said. “Sometimes we’re construed as people who only hold guns or only go to war, but what they don’t know is that there’s things that we do that are humanitarian.”
She said often people do not see the sacrifices veterans have made, like veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder. She said women also do not receive enough recognition for their time serving in the military.
“Women have it twice as hard because we’re not one of the populations that are actually seen as the typical veteran,” Bloodgood said. “To have a day where somebody can thank me for my service gives me the recognition I don’t get on a regular basis.”
Celebrating Veterans Day honors every person who has served or is serving in the military, both young and old, both men and women, Bloodgood said.
Battalion Commander of IU’s ROTC Program Cadet Meghan Andrews closed the ceremony by leading a prayer.
“We gather here today as a future generation of soldiers to honor those who stood before us,” Andrews said during the ceremony. “Let every veteran of our nation's armed forces feel honored, understood, healed and known.”
