Una To Honor Servicemen And Women Next Week

Nov. 06, 2012

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@zo23.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Following the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy and the recent return of the 115th Signal Battalion from Afghanistan, the University of North Alabama will honor those who have served their country, both past and present, with its annual Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. at the UNA Memorial Amphitheatre. Rain location will be the GUC Performance Center. The Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony is co-sponsored each year by the UNA Student Government Association and the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance to honor student, alumni, faculty, staff and community veterans from all branches of the military and uniformed services. Florence Mayor Mickey Haddock will be this year's featured speaker. The ceremony will also include performances by the Pride of Dixie band and the University Chorale. "It is important today, with less than 1 percent of our nation's citizens serving to defend it, that we honor the sacrifices of the brave women and men who stand up to serve our country. This event is simply about remembering and recognizing the sacrifices of those great Americans among us," said Lt. Col. (Ret.) Wayne P. Bergeron, faculty adviser for the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance and interim chair of the UNA Department of Criminal Justice. UNA has a long history and affiliation with military service, having commissioned 1,128 Second Lieutenants from its Army ROTC program and with its students and alumni having served in every U.S. conflict since the Civil War. The UNA Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony is open to the public. For more information on the ceremony or the UNA Military and Veteran Alliance, contact Bergeron at 256-765-5022 (office), 256-335-4924 (mobile) or wpbergeron@zo23.com.