Marshall honors, appreciates veterans

Bryan Bozeman, Reporter

Marshall University will celebrate the contributions of veterans Tuesday and throughout the week. Several activities are planned to give students and the community a chance to show their appreciation for veterans.

The Marshall Army ROTC will honor the lives of United States veterans Tuesday at 11 a.m. by having a moment of silence in front of the World War II memorial. Master Sergeant Brandon McGuire, said it was important to him to find a way commemorate veterans.

“This is the first year we have had a ceremony like this for Veterans Day,” McGuire said. “I just started here at Marshall this summer, and I wanted to make sure we had a ceremony for the veterans when I found out there wasn’t one already in place.”

Later in the day, there will be a quilt giveaway from the Charleston chapter of Quilts of Valor at 2 p.m. at the Memorial Student Center plaza. Thirty quilts will be given away to veterans.

There will also be a military appreciation board in the Memorial Student Center all week for students to share messages of appreciation for the military.

Marshall Veterans Affairs will have a military appreciation tailgate Saturday, and it will display the military appreciation board at the tailgate. Thomas Reynolds, director of Military and Veterans Affairs, gave details about the tailgate and other activities going on Saturday for Veterans Day including food and military vehicles.

“We are also walking 20 vets on the field,” Reynolds said. “And we have a video from two marines stationed in Japan that will play on the big screen.”

Marshall and the Huntington community have a large number of decorated veterans who have served the United States, some of whom include Medal of Honor recipient, Jonah Edward Kelley and Marshall graduate, Carwood Lipton.

Lipton, who grew up in Huntington, served in 101st Airborne Division and was featured in the HBO series “Band of Brothers.”

Bryan Bozeman can be contacted at [email protected]