WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY’S 29TH ANNUAL
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY
NOV. 11, 2020
WELCOME
Phil Labrie Assistant Director, Veterans Outreach (U.S. Air Force Veteran)
PRESENTATION OF COLORS
Honor Guard, Fairchild Air Force Base
NATIONAL ANTHEM Kevin Partridge ’22 (U.S. Air Force Veteran)
INVOCATION
Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D. President
SPEAKER
U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
RECOGNITION OF STUDENT & EMPLOYEE VETERANS
Phil Labrie Assistant Director, Veterans Outreach (U.S. Air Force Veteran)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Mark Baird, Psy.D. Associate Professor of Psychology (U.S. Army Veteran)
COINING CEREMONY Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D. President
SONG, AIRBORNE RANGER INFANTRY Kevin Partridge ’22 (U.S. Air Force Veteran)
BENEDICTION
The Rev. Forrest H. Buckner, Ph.D. Storm Family Dean of Spiritual Life & Campus Pastor
COIN RECIPIENTS RENEE BARTON ’07
U.S. Army ROTC Collegiate Advisor for Whitworth
PETER BORG ’19
U.S. Army Vet Corp Navigator for Whitworth
SCOTT COLE U.S. Army
TYLER EUDY
U.S. Army Current Army ROTC Cadet
MARK FLIPPEN U.S. Navy
GREGORY HARMON U.S. Marine Corps
STUART HENRY U.S. Navy
LOYD PATTON U.S. Air Force
KEVIN PARTRIDGE U.S. Air Force
COLLIN VISSER
U.S. Marine Corps
CHRISTOPHER WARREN U.S. Air Force Current Army ROTC Cadet
HOW VETERANS DAY BEGAN Veterans Day began as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1926, Congress passed a resolution for an annual observance, and, in 1938, Nov. 11 became a national holiday. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name to Veterans Day in order to honor veterans of all American wars.
HONORING WHITWORTH’S VETERANS Whitworth University has a long history of support for our nation’s military. Beginning with World War I in 1917, Whitworth students both volunteered and were drafted in the military. One student, Harry Olson, was killed in action. Since then, Whitworth students have served in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. Several have paid the ultimate price in defense of the United States. Today, Whitworth supports veterans as well as collaborates with Gonzaga University as part of the ROTC program. Each year, we pay homage to those who have served the United States by holding a Veterans Day ceremony on our campus.