Friday, November 4, 2022
Media Contact:
Jordan Bishop | Editor, Department of Brand Management | 405-744-7193 | jordan.bishop@okstate.edu
Looking out on the 1000’s of American flags on the Oklahoma State University Library
Lawn is a stunning sight. Even extra stunning is the information that every flag represents
an precise individual, a veteran who gave their life for his or her nation.
On every of the 7,116 flags hangs a canine tag with the customized information of a
service member who has died for the reason that 9/11 terrorist assaults in 2001. The names are
taken from the Department of Defense army casualty web site and organized in alphabetical
order.
This 12 months, 16 extra flags had been added to honor the lives that had been misplaced within the Afghanistan
withdrawal.
Vincent Rivera, OSU Veteran Success coordinator, was shocked to search out out when he started
working at OSU in 2020 that the college shows over 7,000 flags for every member
who has died since 2001.
“Most universities do a flag display, however OSU is the one college within the nation
that does this the place we use the DOD army casualty itemizing and connect a person
canine tag for each member,” Rivera stated. “The unhappy factor is that this display won’t ever
get smaller, it is going to solely ever get larger.”
The flags and canine tags normally take about two days to arrange with the assistance of pupil
and veteran volunteers. The annual flag planting is barely the start of per week full
of occasions created by the Office of Student Veteran Success to honor and help U.S.
veterans. Students are inspired to attend occasions and admire the flag display all through
the week of Nov. 7-11.
“When I see folks strolling by the flags, I prefer to allow them to know that every flag is
an individual who didn’t make it again to get their diploma, who didn’t make it again to
fulfill desires they could have had,” Rivera stated. “I’m by no means going to say that I’m comfortable
to make somebody somber, however that second when the display takes on a brand new that means is
what it’s all about. It’s a sacrifice manifested in a tangible kind.”
Rivera defined that yearly, there are college students or veterans eager to honor
somebody they knew who handed away within the Global War on Terrorism.
“We’ll discover folks out right here going by way of the flags and I’ll discuss to them and discover
out that they’re on the lookout for somebody they knew,” Rivera stated. “We normally need to
exchange six or seven canine tags a 12 months as a result of if folks discover the one they’re trying
for, I’ll allow them to take it and exchange it the following day.”
Volunteers serving to with the flag planting are additionally impacted by the display.
Bryan Rich served within the U.S. Army in the course of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Rich has helped
with the OSU flag display for the previous two years and works for a neighborhood outreach
program with the Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs.
“We have began doing neighborhood outreach and integration the place we’re looking for
the vets who’re type of falling by way of the cracks or not partaking in sure companies
and connecting them with VA companies or native nonprofits,” Rich stated.
OSU is partnering with Veteran Affairs to plan espresso socials and supply assets
for veterans, college and veteran college students to maintain them linked and engaged. Rich
may be contacted through e-mail at bryan.wealthy@va.gov.
Friday morning earlier than 8 a.m., Rich might be discovered on Library Lawn admiring the display.
“I wished to get right here early within the morning so I might take some photos and simply
sit and hearken to the sounds of the tags clinking towards the flags,” Rich stated. “It’s
simply surreal, peaceable.”
Story By:
Hadley DeJarnette | hadley.dejarnette@okstate.edu
[my_adsense_shortcode_1]
put up credit score to Source link
[my_taboola_shortcode_1]
