Honoring America's Veterans

Friday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, and The Association of Former Students joins our nation in honoring and saying “thank you.” 

Texas A&M is a school deeply rooted in military tradition, and countless current and former students of our university have offered their service to our country over the years. Right in the heart of our campus, ROTC leadership courses and military training offered daily through the Corps of Cadets have, for 140 years, prepared many of our servicemen and women. And, you’ll find, etched in gold, 13 stripes in the shield of each Aggie Ring that symbolize the intense patriotism of graduates and undergraduates of A&M. 

Veterans Day will be commemorated and recognized across Texas A&M’s campus and throughout Aggieland beginning Friday and continuing throughout the weekend. Read on to find ways you can participate and show your support, and learn of a few current efforts in place to recognize deserving veterans.

AROUND CAMPUS

Complimentary Veterans Day brunch will be available Friday morning in Room 205 of the Pavilion, hosted by the Veteran Service Office.

Also Friday morning, a roundtable discussion will be held at the Sanders Corps Center at 10:30 a.m., featuring U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning. More information about this event is available at today.tamu.edu. 

At 11:11, the Corps of Cadets will host a Wreath Laying Ceremony on Corps Plaza. This ceremony is open to the public and will include a 21-gun salute as well as the playing of Taps.

In recognition of Veterans Day, Texas A&M has also announced its partnership with Operation Hat Trick. A&M-branded apparel and headwear is available for purchase, and proceeds benefit veterans-related organizations.

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is offering free admission for all veterans, reservists, and active-duty military and up to five of their family members on Nov. 11. All Gulf War veterans will receive a free copy of 25th Anniversary: The Liberation of Kuwait. Take your family and enjoy the historical exhibits on display. www.bush41.org

A preview exhibit of "From Bastogne to Texas: Texas Aggies Go to War" will open Friday in the Veterans Lounge of the MSC. The exhibit, which shares the stories of five featured former students and honors all Aggies and Americans who served in World War II, will remain in the MSC through Dec. 18. More details about future plans for this exhibit’s permanent location can be found at aggiesgotowar.org.

Saturday at Kyle Field will be Military Appreciation Day. Prior to kickoff, the Corps of Cadets will conduct a military review on Simpson Drill Field. In honor of all of our veterans, a Joint Color Guard will march to midfield for the playing of the National Anthem and Texas Our Texas. A field-size U.S. flag will be unfurled by current student veterans.

AROUND THE COMMUNITY

Join the Dixie Chicken and The Farm Patch in honoring our veterans in the Dixie Chicken Tribute Walk twice a day during the week of Veterans Day. See flyer below for details.

The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial will host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday in Veterans Park. Keynote remarks will be given by Gen. Hal Hornburg '68, the sixth Aggie to achieve four-star rank in the U.S. Air Force and a former chairman of the Board of The Association of Former Students. 

HONORING VETERANS

Applications are being accepted for the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Wall of Honor. Nominate a veteran to have their name placed in 2017 at the following link: http://www.bvvm.org/events/vetsday/

Nominations are also being accepted for WWII veterans to receive the French Legion of Merit, France’s highest honor. https://www.aggienetwork.com/news/143773/nominate-a-wwii-veteran-for-frances-highest-honor/

Project Aggie Valor is an ongoing effort to identify all former students who have been awarded the nation’s second highest award for valor—the Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross or Air Force Cross. View the list or provide additional information at tx.ag/valor.

The Liberator Information Project seeks to identify Texans who helped liberate the Nazi concentration camps during WWII. Please direct individuals fitting this description to this link for additional details: https://www.aggienetwork.com/news/143730/seeking-texans-who-helped-liberate-nazi-concentration-camps/

ONGOING VETERAN SUPPORT

In 2012, The Association helped establish the TAMU Veteran Resource and Support Center, a unique effort dedicated to supporting Aggie student veterans. With a motto of “Serve well those who have served,” the Center provides direct care to more than 1,200 veterans through mentoring, scholarships, academics, free athletics tickets, housing, and employment.

Aggie Rings for student veterans are made possible by former students’ gifts to The Association’s Annual Fund, as well as through current students’ support of Class Councils and its student-led, nine-year tradition, 11/11 Day, which annually raises financial support for their Aggie Rings for Veterans fund.

A similar program, Ring it Forward, seeks to award an Aggie Ring scholarship in the name of each of the 37 fallen Aggies who lost their lives during the War on Terror after Sept. 11, 2001. To date, they have been able to provide 13 Aggie Ring scholarships to individuals who have served in combat.

Gifts for Class Councils Aggie Rings for Veterans, Ring it Forward, and the TAMU Veteran Resource and Support Center can be directed to The Association of Former Students 505 George Bush Drive, College Station, TX 77840.

 
Four Aggies graduated together from Navy OCS this year in Newport, Rhode Island. From left to right: Daniel Ocshner '16, Joseph Losoya '12, Adam Tucker '16, Vishnu Reddy '16

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

In April 2017, our Traveling Aggies program is offering a WWI History river cruise through Holland and Belgium: https://www.aggienetwork.com/trip/2499/wwi-history-river-cruise/

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA, invites #AggiesEverywhere to join them Nov. 17-19 at the International Conference on WWII.

Myriad student organizations at Texas A&M support veteran-related efforts, including:
Aggie Adaptive Sports
Aggie Shields
Aggies Support USO
Military and Veteran Law Society
Run of Heroes
Patriot Paws of Aggieland

The USAA Educational Foundation and the Texas A&M Financial Planning Program recently introduced Commanding Your Finances courses on campus to prepare future military leaders in financial readiness.