Western Courier| November 6th, 2019

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AWARD-WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. SERVING MACOMB SINCE 1905.

WesternCourier.com

Wednesday, November 6, 2019 - Vol. 120 Issue 33

@WesternCourier

Military Appreciation Week is coming to Macomb By Devon Greene editor-in-chief

Ronald Pettigrew hands out hot chocolate to students.

The Veteran's Resource Center is located directly across from Sherman Hall.

DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DEVON GREENE/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Western Illinois University Leatherneck community will be celebrating Military Appreciation Week next week from Nov. 11 to Nov. 16. Before the Military Appreciation Week celebrations begin, the Macomb community will mourn the loss of the oldest known living survivor of Iwo Jima, John Moon, who died on Oct. 29 at the nursing care facility, Wesley Village. Visitation will be held today at 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Dodsworth-Piper-Wallen Funeral Home. The memorial services for the veteran will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Wesley United Methodist Church. Academic advisor and Director of the Veterans Resource Center, Ronald Pettigrew, will fly the flag of the United States Marine Corps outside of the Resource Center at half mast during Moon’s funeral service. The Resource Center flies four flags on its front lawn including the American Flag, POW/MIA Flag, Illinois Flag and the flag of the Western Illinois University. Even with the loss of an important member of the Macomb community, Pettigrew is excited for the upcoming week and even handed out hot chocolate to students and faculty alike on Monday to raise awareness for the upcoming festivities. The theme for the week this year is “Honoring Leathernecks: Past, Present and Future,” and the celebration will begin on Nov. 11 with the Military Tribute Ceremony at the Sherman flag pole at 11 a.m. where participants will honor veterans and service members. Pettigrew said this is an event that he looks forward to the most due to its longstanding history. It traces back all the way to World War I when it

ended at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. Since then, a two minute silence has been held across the nation as a rememberance of those who have served the country. Following the Military Tribute Ceremony is a Family Salute, which will take place in Sherman Hall at noon. This event is focused on the families of those who have served in the Armed Forces. “We are trying to be intentional in recognizing families that allow them to serve.” Pettigrew said. The second day of Military Appreciation week starts off at 3:30 p.m. at the Rock Hanson Statue near Hanson Field. The Colonel Ray “Rock” Hanson was unveiled two years ago on Sept. 19, 2017 in memoriam of the man who inspired many on the Western Illinois campus. Dave and Jackie Thompson, both Western Illinois graduates and former Homecoming Grand Marshals, will be making comments at the event. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., an AllStar Tug of War will be held in the Spencer Student Recreation Center where student organizations can register for the inaugural event. To close out the second day, a discussion on “Why Appreciate the Military?” will be held in the University Union. On Wednesday, two more events will be held, including “In their own words: Korea and Vietnam,” which will be a discussion where veterans who served in the military at the time of those wars will speak of their memories and experiences in the Lamoine Room from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the “Battle of the Branches Press Competition” in the Recreation Center.

Military Appreciation page 3


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