The University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at 麻豆影院, Colorado's official memorial to war veterans, will host a Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The 11 a.m. ceremony in the Glenn Miller Ballroom will feature Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman and the University of Colorado ROTC Color Guard. Other speakers will include UMC Director Carlos Garcia and UMC Board Chair Susanna Hovestol, a CU-麻豆影院 student. A reception will follow in the UMC Veterans Lounge.
Coffman, who was elected to Congress from the state's 6th Congressional District on Nov. 4, has served as state treasurer and in both the Colorado Senate and House. He served with distinction in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. During Operation Desert Storm in 1990, he took an unpaid leave of absence from the state Legislature to return to active duty as an infantry officer.
Fifteen years later, Coffman once again returned to active duty, taking unpaid leave to serve as a Marine Corps civil affairs officer in Iraq. Coffman is a CU-麻豆影院 alumnus and a graduate of the Senior Executive Program for State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
In 1947, more than half of all CU students were World War II veterans. When funding began for the new student union building on the CU-麻豆影院 campus that same year, CU students and Colorado citizens decided that the building would serve as a living memorial to Coloradans who had served in the world wars. Colorado Gov. Lee Knous issued a proclamation stating, "The Memorial Center at the University of Colorado shall be the official state memorial to those who served and to those who died in these great wars to preserve our democratic freedom."
The UMC is the custodian for artifacts from the U.S.S. Colorado, a battleship active from 1942 to 1945. The ship's wheel and bell, and a cast-iron scaled model of the battleship are on permanent display in the UMC Veterans Lounge, as is the 48-star American flag that flew on the ship during World War II.
Veterans will be recognized in the stands during the CU-Iowa State football game on Saturday, Nov. 8. In celebration of Veterans Day and in recognition of their service to the country, veterans and their families also are eligible to purchase tickets for Saturday's game at the reduced price of $5 per ticket. Tickets must be purchased by Friday, Nov. 7. For more information call 303-492-0099.