Honoring Our Veterans
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 11, 2009) – Today, our country pauses to honor those who have served in the armed forces. Each Nov. 11, on the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I, we celebrate Veterans Day. The University of Kentucky has a long-standing relationship with the men and women who serve our country, from our roots as land grant university that taught military tactics to our recent designation as a 2010 military-friendly school by G. I. Jobs magazine.
This year also marks the return of the University of Kentucky Military Veterans of America (MVA). After a 60 year absence from campus, student veterans re-formed the group as a way to connect with fellow veterans at UK. The organization aims to foster the education, retention and support of military veterans throughout their pursuits at the University.
Similar to the surge in veterans enrolling in college after World War II, colleges and universities are seeing more veterans returning to complete their education.
“After 9/11, a lot of members joined the military, spent their four to eight years in the Service, and now they’re getting out," Tyler Gayheart, MVA board member, said. "There are tremendous benefits to be had with the post-9/11 GI Bill, so we’re seeing a huge influx of veterans coming on campus.”
This week MVA is partnering with the UK Veterans Resource Center to present a special screening of the award-winning documentary, "The Way We Get By." The film celebrates three unsung heroes, "troop greeters" - senior citizens who gather daily at a small airport to welcome troops as they return from deployment, who share their love with strangers who need and deserve it. Screenings began on Monday, but three public screenings still remain this week at the Worsham Theater: Wednesday at noon, Thursday at 2 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m.
A special VIP screening will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Memorial Hall. For more information about this event, please contact the Veterans Resource Center at (859) 257–1148 or e-mail vetcenter@uky.edu.
For more information about the UK Military Veterans of America, please watch the video below.