ROTC celebrates Veterans Day

Over the past week, Shippensburg University Army Reserves Officer Training Corps (ROTC) worked alongside the university’s Student Veterans Association (SVA) to raise over $400 to go toward assisting Pennsylvania’s Wounded Warriors.

The two organizations sold raffle tickets for a Burton snowboard, donated by Ski Liberty, valued at around $500.

Last Monday, students were invited to place their handprints on a custom project, with the end product resulting in an American flag.

The flag, along with a yellow ribbon made of flowers, was present at the Veterans Day Ceremony on Nov. 11.

Veterans Day marks the day that the treaty ending World War I was signed. The armistice was signed at approximately 11:00 a.m. one the day, which is also when the Veterans Day Ceremony took place on Friday.

Veterans Day was originally named “Armistice Day,” and was officially changed to Veterans Day in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The yellow ribbon has been associated with veteran support since the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s.

Cadet Laura Altman, the cadet officer in charge (OIC) of this event, felt the event had a positive impact on the community.

“I believe it was beneficial to the community because it exposed this celebration of honoring those who have served our country,” Altman said. “Not only did it bring attention to those who have served, but by the students taking a moment out of their day to make their mark on the flag, or make a card for a veteran, really spoke for the military friendly campus we have.”

The cards that were made went to the unit of a Raider Battalion alumnus, 2nd Lt. Keegan Alldredge. The unit is currently deployed to Iraq.

“We hope the cards show them our appreciation of their service, and that they brightened their day, at least a little bit,” Altman said. “The money generated by the snowboard drawing was raised for the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, and will go to those who are in need of assistance, in order to create a better life for them and their family. Although I wish we could have helped more, the idea of being able to help enrich even one life is what we were striving for.”