Oglethorpe Veterans Club Honors Those Who’ve Served

The Oglethorpe Veterans Club handed out yellow lapel ribbons across campus.

To commemorate Veterans Day today, the newly-formed Oglethorpe Veterans Club distributed yellow lapel ribbons to raise awareness, held a campus-wide moment of silence at 11 a.m. to remember those who have fallen, and hosted a “Lest We Forget” brunch event to honor those who’ve served and their families.

The Oglethorpe Veterans Club members include veterans, family members, students, faculty, staff and alumni who have come together to recognize the contributions of soldiers.

“Veterans are really everywhere,” said Jef Palframan ’13, founding president of the OU Veterans Club—and a veteran himself. “The club is for everyone, not just veterans, and our mission is the aid those who have served and their families.”

Jef Palframan ’13, Professor Chris Benton, Trustee Fred Agel ’52, Trustee Emeritus O.K. Sheffield ’53

The event opened and closed with prayers for those who have  fallen in battle, for those who are missing, and those who are fighting right now. There also were toasts made to those who have served and their families, as well as remarks from Dean of Students Michelle Hall, OU Trustee Fred Agel ’52, and Trustee Emeritus O.K. Sheffield ’53. Veterans who attended were encouraged to wear their uniforms and medals.

OU shares a long history with alumni veterans and veterans-turned-students. Oglethorpe’s first international students in the 1940s were four Norwegian veterans of WWII.  (Read the full article: Summer 2011 Carillon, pages 10-11.)  Currently there are 13 veterans enrolled as students at Oglethorpe.

An empty table symbolized those soldiers who are or were prisoners of war or missing in action.

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