Cameron honors U.S. armed forces members on Veterans Day

The U.S. armed forces has been fighting tooth and nail to best defend our country and make it the entity it is now since 1776. Every year, we celebrate two holidays to honor and respect the fallen, currently serving and discharged veterans.

The next one is just around the corner and Cameron University is joining the observation.

CU will honor active duty and retired members of the U.S. military with a series of events Nov. 11 at 2800 W. Gore.

Active duty military and veterans are invited to enjoy a complimentary meal from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Shepler Cafeteria on the south side of campus along Elsie Hamm Drive, according to a press release.

At 1 p.m., the Comanche Battalion, CU’s award-winning Army ROTC unit, will post the colors to signal the start of the university’s Veteran’s Day observance, the release said. The ceremony will take place in Veteran’s Grove, located on the north side of Howell Hall directly south of Gore. The ceremony is open to the public and all members of the military branches are encouraged to attend.

Following a performance of the national anthem by CU student Grace Norbury, attendees will observe a minute of silence to honor the nation’s veterans and active duty service men and women, the release said. The Cameron University Concert Band, under the direction of Andrey Cruz, will perform during the observance.

Col. Reginald D.White, Commander of the 434th Field Artillery Brigade, will speak about the importance of Veterans Day, the release said. White enrolled in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1994. In 2000, he commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery through the University of South Carolina’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. His previous assignments include command and developmental positions from the battery through strategic level directorates.

White is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, the Field Artillery Captains Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College, the release said. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina, a Masters of Professional Studies in Homeland Security from Penn State University and a Masters of National Security Strategy from the National War College.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal (third award), Meritorious Service Medal (fourth award), Army Commendation Medal (third award), Army Achievement Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal (second award), Meritorious Unit Citation, (second award), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (with one service star), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Memorial Cross (Italian) and Combat Action Badge.

To close off the ceremony, Cameron junior music major Owen Ellis will play “Taps.”