Wisconsin Union, University Veteran Services will host free Veterans Day program on Nov. 11 at Memorial Union
Posted: 11/05/21
The Wisconsin Union team in partnership with University Veteran Services welcome all to join the team for a free Veterans Day event on Nov. 11 that begins at 1 p.m. in Memorial Union’s Main Lounge.
The Veterans Day event will include remarks by University of Wisconsin-Madison student and Marine Corps veteran Lorence Ayag, Director of University Veteran Services Joe Rasmussen and Wisconsin Union Director and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Mark Guthier.
Guests can enjoy free, light refreshments on a first come, first served basis as well as live music.
The Union’s annual tradition of holding a Veterans Day event began in 2018 and continues today in recognition of Badger service members, including UW-Madison service members killed during active duty. The Union did not hold a Veterans Day event in 2020 due to COVID-19.
“Every day, our service member heroes are among us, including on our campus, and we consider it a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to acknowledge their heroism and service to our country,” Guthier said.
The Union team chose Memorial Union as the event location due to the building’s 1928 dedication as a memorial to UW-Madison’s service members. The Union team acknowledges more than 1,000 Badger alumni who died of service-related causes during active duty on wooden plaques on the walls of Memorial Union’s Memorial Hall and the Union’s electronic Gold Star Honor Roll in Memorial Hall, the Hamel Family Browsing Library at Memorial Union, and online. The Union team continues to add UW-Madison alumni to the electronic Gold Star Honor Roll. Fallen Badger service members, who died of service-related causes, can be submitted to the Gold Star Honor Roll here.
At 2 p.m. on Nov. 11, the UW–Madison chapter of Student Veterans of America will host a Veterans Day flag dedication ceremony on Bascom Hill. The chapter invites community members and visitors to participate in this display following the program by placing flags on the Hill in honor of veterans in their lives. Participants can obtain flags from the chapter at the bottom of Bascom Hill. Those who cannot attend in-person can submit flag requests online. Details about online submissions will be made available here in the near future.
The Union team is grateful for the partnership of the University Veteran Services team in hosting the annual Veterans Day annual event at Memorial Union. The University Veteran Services team helps more than 700 military-affiliated students transition to campus life, coordinates education benefits certification, and connects military-connected students to needed campus resources.
“Thanks to the Wisconsin Union for bringing this event back in-person,” said Rasmussen. “I’m looking forward to gathering and participating with the UW community in the flag dedication.”
More information about the Veterans Day event at Memorial Union is available at https://union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/veterans-day-recognition-gathering/.