From Monday, Nov. 9th to Wednesday Nov. 11, Texas A&M University-Commerce will host the Veterans Vigil. The three day long annual event is dedicated to the memory of POW/MIAs, with each year’s ceremonies focusing on a particular branch of the military.
This year’s event features the Reservist.
“The purpose of the Veterans Vigil is to recognize our veterans in the area, and we are hearing from veterans all over the country who are proud that their alma mater still pays homage to veterans,” assistant director of student activities and leadership Connie Mears said. “We had one veteran from California contact us and say that he is so proud that his university still does this, and that’s amazing.”
The program began at 11:30 a.m. on Monday with the opening ceremonies, which included a welcome by A&M-Commerce president Dr. Dan Jones and an address from keynote speaker Dr. James Nicholson. The event concluded with the lighting of the Vigil Flame on the north lawn of the Sam Rayburn Student Center. The flame will be guarded in one hour shifts until it’s extinguished in the closing ceremonies.
“The event is designed to show university and community support for our POWs and honor them for all they’ve done,” director of veterans affairs Ted Oats said. “Connie Mears has done a very good job, and I think people will be pleased with the way it’s organized and executed.”
Monday’s events ended with a performance by the United States Navy Band in the Ferguson Social Sciences auditorium.
“That evening we are so blessed to have the United States Navy band perform,” Mears said. “It’s a complimentary show and there is VIP seating for veterans. At 5:45 we have a special event where we have new recruits joining the armed forces that will be sworn in.”
On Tuesday, the Veterans Vigil has two major events. The first is a two hour youth program to be held in the conference rooms at the student center.
“Tuesday morning we start with over 200 5th and 6th graders from Commerce and Cooper that will be joining us for our youth program,” Mears said. “We’ll have various military personal and speakers teaching them about the honor of serving.”
The second program is the Veterans Appreciation Open House, a four hour long event that takes place in the Student Access and Success Center. The Open House will include information and education programs for recruits and veterans on campus.
On Wednesday at 12 p.m., Director of Diversity, Cultural and Judicial Affairs Robert Dotson will present an educational program, “Stories from the Fronline: Those Who are Affected.” A military flyover will take place at 3:30 p.m. The F-16’s will fly directly over the Vigil Flame on the North Lawn. At 4 p.m. a pancake supper will start on the North Lawn.
At 5 p.m. the Veterans Vigil will conclude with a candlelight vigil, a 21-gun salute, a playing of “Taps” and the extinguishing of the Vigil Flame.
The Veterans Vigil student chairperson, James Vanbebber, is a veteran himself.
“I think it is very important we as a university both recognize and support those who have serviced this country,” he said. “All of this would be for naught without the vision of Dr. Dan Jones and others of the administration who work to make A&M-Commerce a more diverse and enriched campus for all students.”