On Veterans Day, Ball State will host a variety of programs to commemorate the sacrifice, dedication and loyal service of America's veterans.
Student veterans will be honored with the playing of Taps, a 21-gun salute and a carillon performance at 11:11 a.m. at Shafer Tower.
At 11:30 a.m., a formal ceremony will take place in Bracken Library room 104. Kit Crane, the keynote speaker, veteran and Ball State alumnus, will present along with speakers from the Ball State Student Veterans Organization followed by an honor service and moment of silence. Both students and faculty are encouraged to attend, and donations to benefit families of fallen soldiers will be taken.
Hondo Tamez, Ball State student and treasurer for the Student Veterans Association, spent five years in the U.S. Navy. He served on submarines, frigates and nuclear aircraft carriers.
"We all should be proud and honored that people have given their lives for our freedom and safety, and this is a way of giving back to them," Tamez said. "It's not enough, but it's our way of saying they didn't die in vain. We always hope that everyone comes home, but not everyone does. It's a way of remembering and thanking veterans for making the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms."
Ball State will also participate in the "Remembrance Day National Roll Call," a nationwide event among schools to achieve a synchronized reading of the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers who lost their lives. The ROTC will present the roll call from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Scramble Light. A wall of honor will be displayed there from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At 2 p.m., a moment of silence in remembrance of the sacrifices made by veterans in the past 10 years will be observed. Lastly, a commemoration ceremony will take place from 4:30 to 5 p.m. at the Scramble Light.
As a veteran, Tamez feels that Friday's programs will be a vocal and efficient way of remembrance. He hopes everyone will take time to honor the courage of American soldiers, past and present.
"I've had friends that did not come back," Tamez said. "It's a time to remember them, to be open, and let everyone give thanks."
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