麻豆影院

Vets honored in campus hub

Sixty years ago, the UMC opened as a聽living memorial to honor the service and聽sacrifice of all Colorado veterans. In the聽years that followed, students came to聽eat, shop and meet with friends, but it聽was not until 1976 when the student veterans聽association, along with the UMC聽Board, established a Veterans Lounge.

Yet, many do not realize CU鈥檚 first聽Memorial Student Union building, now聽Economics, was completed in 1931 as a聽tribute to 55 CU veterans who fought聽and died in World War I. Their names聽are engraved in the northwest entrance聽foyer. Outside, the word 鈥淢emoria鈥� is聽etched in stone.

After World War II, a growing student聽population quickly outgrew the first memorial聽building. While plans were under way聽for the UMC, Colorado Gov. Lee Knous聽(Law鈥�11) expanded the university鈥檚 original聽focus to include all Colorado veterans who聽gave their lives in both world wars.聽

Today, UMC director Carlos Garcia聽keeps updated memorial plaques on the聽Veterans Lounge walls with the names聽of nearly 1,000 Colorado veterans who聽have died since World War I. This includes聽83 in World War II, 151 in Korea,聽595 in Vietnam, four in the Persian Gulf,聽34 in Afghanistan and 75 in Iraq.

鈥淲e owe it to all citizens of Colorado聽to help us remember that freedom does聽not always come free,鈥� Garcia says.聽

Photo from Coloradan yearbook 1954聽