FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama is set to honor those who have served the country both past and present. UNA’s annual Veteran’s Day Commemoration Ceremony will take place Friday, Nov. 10, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., at the UNA Memorial Amphitheater (Wesleyan Hall Auditorium in case of inclement weather).
Each year, the event is co-sponsored by the UNA Student Government Association, the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance, honors students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community Veterans from all branches of the military and uniformed services.
Retired Lt. Col. Rick Cobb ’87, of the Florence Lauderdale Emergency Management Agency will be the featured speaker for the ceremony which will also include performances from the Pride of Dixie band and the University Chorale. The entire Shoals community is invited to attend.
“Given the uncertainty in our world today, with constantly emerging and ever-increasing threats, it is important that as a nation we pause to remember and honor the less than one percent of our nation’s citizens who serve to defend it,” said retired Lt. Col. Dr. Wayne P. Bergeron, chair of the UNA Veterans Day Committee and assistant professor of Criminal Justice and Security and Emergency Management at UNA. “This event is simply about remembering and recognizing the sacrifice of those great Americans among us.”
UNA has a long history and affiliation with military service having commissioned 1,183 Second Lieutenants from the Army ROTC program. Additionally, UNA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have served in every U.S. conflict and in all branches of the military since the U.S. Civil War.
For information about the UNA Veteran’s Day Commemoration Ceremony or the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance: Wayne P. Bergeron at wpbergeron@una.edu.
By Dr. Wayne P. Bergeron