Flag being folded at Veteran's Day program in Black and Gold room
America is said to be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but what does that really mean? The recognition of Veterans Day has been used as an observance to recognize service members who have not only taken an oath to protect and service the United States of America, but made sacrifices in order to defend this nation.
To honor those who have taken that oath The Tiger Battalion ROTC Department of Grambling State University held its 14th Annual Veterans Day Program in the Black and Gold Room this past Tuesday at 11 a.m. with Ewing Collier as Master of ceremonies was.
The presence of the veterans who have served in all of the branches of the U.S. military ushered a spirit of pride into the room. Veterans sang their respective service songs and paid recognition to those lost at war and deceased.
“It makes me feel great and lets me know I made the right decision,” said ROTC cadet Dwain Herbert a sophomore political science major from New Orleans. “Veterans Day is a great holiday and as a cadet I really appreciate it.”
Among the audience were veterans from miles away and a few close to home. Eugene Smith, mayor of Arcadia, served in the U.S. Army in 1953-55 at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
“It made me feel important by serving and gave me a feeling toward other mankind,” said Smith. “I realized that I was only one little fella and there were many other people doing the same thing I was doing.”
Speaker of the event was Lt. Col. Gordan Ford, assistant director of operations of the 343rd Bomb Squadron located at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport. Lt. Col. Ford expressed the dedication of service members and their devotion to the United States.
“All gave some…but some gave all… We sacrifice because doing nothing is not an option.”
Following Ford were a few veterans who shared their personal opinions and experiences on what it is like to serve the country. “It’s great because after you serve you feel like you have a right to everything,” said Willie C. Bissic, who served at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Fort Riley, Kansas and Vietnam. Bissic, alumni of both Grambling High School and Grambling State University also said, “I didn’t want to go to Vietnam during the time of Muhammad Ali but I went and now I see the results of it.”