BY DONNA SWICEGOOD
Mitchell Community College honored faculty and students who served in the various military branches during a ceremony at Shearer Hall on Monday.
The Veterans Day ceremony was a little different than those in the past as it did not feature a speaker but instead a video of veterans who work at or attend classes at Mitchell.
President Tim Brewer welcomed those who attended Monday’s ceremony. He said the college takes the opportunity each year on the 11th day of November at the 11th hour to honor, celebrate and remember those who have served this country so well.
He read a list of names of college employees who have served in the military, and many of those were also featured in the Voices of our Veterans video.
In the 15-minute video, the veterans talked about their service experiences as well as the transition from military to civilian life and what led them to Mitchell. (WATCH THE VIDEO: HERE)
Jaquan Frederick, a Basic Law Enforcement Training student, said he served in Sicily, Italy, for three years and California for three years and was a dog trainer. “I’ll never forget those experiences,” he said.
Keith Miller, a professor, is a retired master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He remembered arriving at Basic Training in San Antonio, Texas. After finishing his training, he felt more confident and was ready for anything. “I wasn’t sure what anything meant,” he said.
While stationed at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., he was able to watch Air Force One land and take off several times.
“That is why we did what we did. That is the sound of freedom,” he said.
Miller said he was in Hawaii when he began thinking about retirement from the Air Force. “One day I came back from lunch and knew I was done.”
He misses the camaraderie and the mission.
“I am very appreciative to the military. I was able to see much of the world. I hope I still carry much of the traits they taught me, that they imprinted on my character, and I hope I still carry them with me today,” he said.
Roxanne Kennedy, a business administration program alumni, spoke about transitioning from military to civilian life. She said it was more challenging than she thought it would be.
“You kind of feel lost in the beginning if you don’t have the right resources,” she said. “You’re used to every single moment of your day being structured. … When you get out and on your own it’s quite the culture shock,” she said.
The ceremony included the presentation and retirement of colors by American Legion Post #65, and a reading of “In Flanders Field” by Clay Tallman, an accounting technician at Mitchell who was a corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Mitchell Community College band played the anthems of the various branches of service, and veterans of those branches stood when their song was played.