West Virginia University will be honoring the sacrifice of veterans with the annual Veterans Appreciation Breakfast on Nov. 11 at 8-9:30 a.m. in The Erickson Alumni Center.

The breakfast, with the theme of “Courage, Sacrifice and Duty, Honoring WVU Military Veterans,” will honor former and current military members to let them know how valued they are in the WVU community.

The ceremony will include a presentation of colors, a playing of “Taps” as well as several guest speakers, including John M. Watson Jr., a crew chief for the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

While at the Tuskegee Institute, Watson played on the Tuskegee Warhawks baseball team, traveling the South and competing against Negro League teams during War Bond drives.

Other guests include Associate Professor Joel Beeson, who leads the West Virginia’s Veterans History Project, and Frank Vitale, a WVU MBA alumnus who will discuss Executive MBA opportunities at WVU for veterans.

WVU’s Faculty Senate has designated Veterans Day as a “Day of Recognition.” This designation gives veteran and military students the option to miss classes on Veterans Day in order to participate in events and ceremonies. Instructors have been asked to make allowance for these students to be excused from class.

Supervisors have been asked to be flexible to permit WVU employee veterans to attend the breakfast.

The event is sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in partnership with the Division of Human Resources, Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC and the Division of Student Affairs.

Transportation will be provided for WVU employee and student veterans to attend the breakfast. Pick up will be in front of the Mountainlair at 7:45 a.m. Following the event, return transportation will be provided to the Mountainlair.

Those in need of accommodations should contact Sharon Mallow at 304-293-5600.

Those interested in attending must RSVP by Nov.7 using the following form: https://westvirginiauniversityhr.wufoo.com/forms/wvu-veterans-breakfast/

-WVU-

dm/11/05/13

CONTACT: Trisha Gyurke, WVU Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
304-293-5600, Trisha.Gyurke@mail.wvu.edu

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