East Tennessee State University will honor the nation’s military veterans, including ETSU’s own student, staff and faculty veterans, during the annual Veterans Day ceremony at 10 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, at the Quad, a grassy area between Brooks Gym and Gilbreath Hall.


The program will feature remarks from Command Sgt. Maj. Jay F. Lovelace. Lovelace was selected to serve as the senior enlisted adviser to ETSU Army ROTC alumnus Maj. Gen. Gary L. Harrell, commander, Special Operations Command Central at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.


The ceremony will also feature music by the University School Choir and the ETSU Ensemble Band. ETSU ROTC Cadets will participate in a roll call conducted for the ETSU alumni who were killed in action. The Color Guard will place a wreath on the Veterans Memorial, and taps will be played.


In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in Brooks Gym.


Following the program, all veteran and military service members, including ETSU students, faculty and staff and community members, are invited to enjoy a free lunch between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the ETSU Dining Hall, on the third floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center.


Veterans may pick up a free meal ticket at the Military and Veteran Services Center in Yoakley Hall, at the ROTC offices in Brooks Gym or at the Office of Equity and Inclusion in Burgin Dossett Hall. This invitation extends to all veterans, not just those enrolled or employed at ETSU.


Observed each year on Nov. 11, Veterans Day is a federal holiday with origins traced back to Nov. 11, 1918, the end of World War I, and was forever set aside to honor those who answered the call of military service.

All ETSU faculty, staff, students and community members are invited to attend as the university pays tribute to the sacrifices made and courage displayed by the nation’s veterans, and those within the ETSU community. For disability accommodations, contact the ETSU Office of Disability Services at (423) 439-8346.  


The university, regularly securing the prestigious Military Friendly® designation, aims to assist those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

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