Monroe County Veterans Day ceremonies

The Herald-Times

Veterans to be honored in a number of events held in the county

By Dann Denny 331-4350ddenny@heraldt.com
November 10, 2012

Remembering and honoring our military veterans is what Veterans Day is all about, said Dick Dunbar, commander of American Legion Post 18 in Bloomington.

“Memorial Day is more about honoring the veterans who have passed away, but Veterans Day is more about honoring the men and women now in uniform,” Dunbar said. “These veterans are fighting for the freedoms we enjoy every day, and many of them have not only given up their time but have suffered serious injuries. It’s only fitting that we pause once a year to honor them.”

Here are some of the local Veterans Day ceremonies set for Sunday and Monday:

Monroe County Courthouse

There will be a Veterans Day ceremony at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Monroe County Courthouse. The event — sponsored by American Legion Post 18, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 604, and American Veterans Post 2000 — will honor all military veterans who have served in the U.S. military.

The master of ceremonies will be retired Col. Turner Nolan of American Legion Post 18.

Hugh Dagley, a graduate of Bloomington High School and Indiana University, will be the keynote speaker. He has served more than 30 years in the American Legion National Headquarters and the Department of Indiana Headquarters.

Weather permitting, the end of the ceremony will be conducted outside the courthouse near the flag pole, and there will be the laying of memorial wreaths around the Veterans Memorial Monument.

After the ceremony, the public is invited to a free ham and beans lunch at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 604 at 2404 W. Industrial Drive, southwest of the intersection of North Ind. 37 and Vernal Pike.

Apostolic Bible Church

A Veterans Day Appreciation Service will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Apostolic Bible Church, 3291 S. Old Walnut Street Pike in Bloomington. All veterans and their families are welcome.

Monroe County Fairgrounds

There will be a Veterans Day ceremony at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Veterans Memorial Plaza at the Monroe County Fairgrounds.

Pastor Jim Webster will emcee the event, which will begin with the posting of the American and POW/MIA flags by the Indiana National Guard, followed by the national anthem sung by Maria Lysandrou.

After Pastor Roy McRoberts gives the invocation and the Bloomington Brass Band plays the service medley, there will be talks by Monroe County Fair Board president Dale Conard, Bloomington Kiwanis Club president Diania Fellure, and Judge Francie Hill. Lysandrou will sing another song, and McRoberts will give a closing prayer before Taps is played by Gerald Hanson and Jim Kirkman.

Tents will be set up to protect attendees from inclement weather, and the Monroe County Chapter of the American Red Cross will provide coffee and hot chocolate.

Auer Hall

The Indiana University Brass Choir led by director Edmund Cord will offer a Veterans Day performance at 6 p.m. Sunday in Auer Hall. There will be works by Bernstein, Broiles, Copland, Cowell, Davis, Ewazen, Gates, Ives, Jacob and Lauridsen.

Ivy Tech

“Celebrate Veterans Day with Ivy Tech” will begin Monday with an 8:30 a.m. opening ceremony on Ivy Tech’s main campus at 200 Daniels Way. There will be a veterans discussion, a display of military gear, and a Student Veteran Organization coin ceremony from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lamkin Hall.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a Patriotic Sidewalk Chalk Art Contest at the main entrance. Whoever draws the best picture will win a sweatshirt from the Ivy Tech bookstore. To sign up, email Al Buchanan at abuchanan17@ivytech.edu.

“Sign a Holiday Card for Heroes” will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the first floor rotunda. People can sign some of the 1,000 holiday cards that will be sent to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Indiana Memorial Union

The Veterans Support Services at Indiana University will conduct a smaller version of the National Remembrance Roll Call from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday in the Memorial Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. The names of all Indiana service members who lost their lives while being deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan will be read. There also will be an observation of a national moment of silence at 2 p.m., as well as a Veterans Open House from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Veterans Support Services office in the IMU. From 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday the Union Board will have a display and several speakers in the Memorial Room.

Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
Jason Rosso was part of the ceremonies last year at Ivy Tech. This year’s Ivy Tech celebration gets under way at 8:30 a.m. Monday, with a number of events during the day at the 200 Daniels Way campus.

Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2012