Indiana Wesleyan University is honoring those who have served in the US armed forces with a special Veterans Day event that will take place on Friday, Nov. 10 on the IWU residential campus in Marion.
The day will begin with a free breakfast at 7:30-9:00 a.m. in the Banquet Rooms in the Barnes Student Center. Chaplains Brian Daehn and Bob Burchell will offer prayers for veterans, and Dr. Kersten Priest, professor of Sociology at IWU, will speak about Dr. Lewis Jackson and his experiences with the Tuskegee Airmen. The IWU community, veterans and their families, and community guests are welcome to attend. Registration is required as space is limited. To register, please visit https://indwes.irisregistration.com/Form/IWUVeteransdaycelebration. If you experience any difficulty in registering, please call IWU Conference Services at 765-677-2800. Registration ends at 3 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6.
In the Student Center Commons from 12-4 p.m., there will be veteran-related events and demonstrations, including the following:
- The IWU Wall for folks to write the names of those who have served in the military services
- A highlight video loop from IWU’s 2016 Veterans Day Celebration
- A note station where people can write a note of support to deployed military members
- A Pray-for-a-Vet Prayer Station for veteran-related and general prayer requests
- A simulation, managed by IWU ROTC, where attendees can share in the “deployed experience” by sampling an MRE meal or carrying a rucksack
- A "Missing Man" table, a military tradition remembering those who were killed or missing in action
- The popular movie "Megan Leavey," about a deployed U.S. Marine and her military working dog, will be shown in the Globe Theater both Friday and Saturday.
Throughout the day, Military flags from all five services and the POW-MIA flag will be displayed, and red, white and blue ribbons will be available for wear.
“This is a day for all of us to remember that freedom is not free,” said Dot Clark-Ott, Air Force veteran and faculty development director for School of Nursing. “Veterans have sacrificed, and some have paid the ultimate price for the rights that we, as Americans, enjoy. Veterans Day is our chance to honor them and to say, ‘Thank you.’”