The catered event is open to the public.
By Christian Erevia
cerevia@student.alamo.edu
This college will honor Veterans Day with a ceremony and reception 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday in the mall and the Fiesta Room of Loftin Student Center.
The celebration is hosted by this college’s veterans affairs office and VetSuccess. TRiO Veterans Support Services and the Student Veterans Association also will participate.
The ceremony is dedicated to veterans, both living and dead, as a “thank you” and celebration of their service to this country.
“It’s about supporting someone who has made the decision to be a representative of our country,” said Delia De Luna, disability support services specialist. “It’s just to show appreciation to someone who is willing to do something not everyone is willing to do.”
The ceremony is open to all, including members of the community. Each branch of the military will be represented at the ceremony.
The Alamo Colleges Police Honor Guard will lead a march from Candler Physical Education Center to the mall.
They will carry Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard flags.
State Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio will attend.
The celebration will include the national anthem performed by the American Sign Language Glee Club.
Speeches will be given by Toni Marie Salazar, engineering sophomore and U.S. Army veteran, and Maria C. Galaviz, nursing professor and retired U.S. Air Force Reserve member.
Challenge coins will also be presented, which are collectible military-oriented tokens.
Musician Robert Chalk will perform “Taps” on bagpipes in honor of fallen veterans.
“It’s always a moving day,” said Manuel Gonzales, real estate sophomore and Student Veterans Association president. “It’s always one of those days where you sit down and reflect.”
Gonzales, a former Marine, is one of the student veterans who will participate in the ceremony. He will be laying a wreath at this college’s veterans memorial. The memorial is between the chemistry and geology building and Loftin.
“It’s a really cool moving day,” Gonzales said. “Even if you’re not a vet, you can learn something from it.”
The hourlong ceremony will be followed by a catered luncheon in the Fiesta Room and is open to all those who attend.
For more information, call 210-486-0111.