Veterans Day service set at Flag Plaza

The public is invited to attend Chadron State College's Veterans Day memorial service. The event is set for Friday, Nov. 11, at 9 a.m. at the Centennial Flag Plaza on the Dean’s Green.

First Lt. Franklin Annis of the Chadron State College Reserve Officer Training Corps program said the service will include the raising and lowering of the U.S. flag to half-staff. In addition, he said the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag also will be displayed on the plaza for the first time.

Annis plans to present a brief history of Veterans Day and emphasize the importance of honoring and remembering the service of American Veterans. Veterans Day, originally named Armistice Day,” occurs on the anniversary of the day guns fell silent over the fields of Europe at the end of World War I – Nov. 11, 1918.

“With less of the population currently serving in the military and older veterans of the great wars perishing, it is increasingly important to honor and remember the service of veterans so that their great sacrifices are never taken for granted,” Annis said.

Sponsors of the event include CSC ROTC and the War Eagle Club. In case of inclement weather, the service will be moved to the Sandoz Center.

Attendees of the service also are invited to view the World War II Veterans Exhibition on display in the garden level of Crites Hall.

The Veterans Exhibition, which was created in 2000, features 30 framed one-page excerpts from essays written by students in Dr. Kathy Bahr’s Composition II courses. The students interviewed nearby residents of the Great Plains who witnessed the war -- veterans and many of the “unsung heroes” who remained on the home front. The exhibit includes photographs of those interviewed, also created by CSC students.