Veteran's Day commemmoration begins this week
Nov. 4—Veteran's Day will be marked by several events around the area. Although Nov. 11 is the actual holiday, some of the events marking it begin this week.
Oklahoma State University's continues its tradition of displaying approximately 7,000 American flags on the Edmon Low Library Lawn beginning Thursday and continuing through next week.
Each flag represents a member of the U.S. military who has died since 9/11.
Volunteers will work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, placing the flags and dog tags. They will stay on the library lawn until Nov. 14.
"The original idea behind the display was to increase awareness that we have veterans on campus," Student Veteran Academic Services coordinator Rick Hansen told the News Press in 2018. "Another reason is to say that we still have people in harms way."
The Student Veteran Success Center will also hold a veterans appreciation dinner on Nov. 11.
The Langston Community Veterans Appreciation Committee will also be honoring veterans this week and on Nov. 11.
On Saturday, a free appreciation luncheon founded by U.S. Marine Corps veteran Fred Gragg will be held for veterans and their spouses at the Wesley Center Foundation, 777 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive in Langston.
Archetta Burch-James, author of "Francis Clinton: A Buffalo Soldier and American Hero" will speak, a silent auction will be held and door prizes will be awarded.
Guests are welcome with a donation, which supports continued development of the Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens in Langston.
On Sunday, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 22 E. Hale St. in Langston, will hold its 8th annual Veterans Appreciation Worship Service. The sermon will be delivered by guest minister, retired Air Force veteran, and former military chaplain, Rev. Joe Norman, Pastor of Nehemiah Baptist Church in Midwest City. All veterans will be asked to introduce themselves by name and branch of service and a group photograph will be taken.
The service will be followed at 1:30 p.m. by a Sunday dinner for the veterans and their families, hosted by Zeta Phi Beta and other members of the "Divine Nine" sororities.
On Thursday, the official Veterans Day program will be held at 11 a.m. at Wm Conrad Veterans Memorial Gardens, 313 E. Turner in Langston.
The program will include a keynote speech from U.S. Army veteran and Langston University Department of Chemistry Chair James Alan Simpson, a military honor guard from Tinker Air Force Base, musical selections and a presentation of the winners of the Veterans' Appreciation Art Contest.
Stillwater's Hanner-Sharp American Legion Post 129 will once again join the Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society in inviting the public to help commemorate Veterans' Day with a ceremony at Fairlawn, 1123 E. 6th Ave., beginning at 9 a.m. Nov. 11.
Post members will be putting up flags along Fairlawn's Avenue of Flags starting at 7:30 a.m. that morning. The flags will be taken down at 4 p.m.
The program includes comments by Hanner-Sharp Post Commander Jim Rutledge and members of the Fairlawn Cemetery Preservation Society will host a reception after the ceremony with coffee, hot chocolate and finger snacks.
