Veterans Week at the University of Tennessee at Martin is taking place Nov. 10-14, and various events are being hosted to honor military veterans. These events will be hosted by UT Martin’s Army ROTC program and Veteran Services, along with the nonprofit organization Rolling Thunder, which works to spread awareness of the POW/MIA issue.
The official Veterans Day observance is Nov. 11.
Rolling Thunder is hosting a Veterans Day Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, which will begin at the corner of Lovelace and University streets and continue through downtown Martin. Lineup will begin at 9 a.m. in the UT Martin Business Administration Building parking lot. The Missing Man ceremony will be held immediately following the parade at the Martin Public Library stage, followed by a veterans luncheon at American Legion Post 55 located at 221 Central St. in Martin.
In other activities:
• At 6 a.m., Monday, Nov. 10, the Skyhawk Battalion cadets will lead the UT Martin Veterans Week 5K Walk/Run along the Brian Brown Memorial Greenway. The event will honor those who have served in the military and show pride and unity between and among the ROTC cadets and the UT Martin and local community.
• The Skyhawk Battalion cadets have also organized the UT Martin Veterans Day Ceremony, which will take place at 11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 11 in the Watkins Auditorium. The ceremony will include comments from Dr. Stephanie Kolitsch, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, and Lt. Col. Robert Hawkins, UT Martin and Murray State University professor of military science, along with a color guard presentation and performances of the national anthem and military branch music.
• At 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Veterans Walk will begin at the Boling University Center military memorial and will end at the Capt. Brent L. Morel Memorial Bridge along the Brian Brown Greenway. This walk is to honor current service members as well as UT Martin alumnus Marine Capt. Brent L. Morel, who was killed in combat in Iraq in 2004.
• The Skyhawk Battalion will host the annual Veterans Bowl flag football game at 6 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, at Hardy M. Graham Stadium. The game will highlight the values of teamwork, discipline and resilience that unite soldiers and veterans, and reinforce community connection and morale.
• At 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, the Skyhawk Battalion will visit the W.D. Manning Tennessee State Veterans Home in Humboldt to recognize and engage with veterans in the local community. ROTC cadets will serve cake and refreshments, distribute appreciation items, and exchange stories with those who served before them, emphasizing the Skyhawk Battalion’s dedication to respect, service and community outreach as they learn from military veterans from previous generations.
Also, part of Veterans Week observances, on Saturday, Nov. 15, the UT Martin Skyhawks will host Charleston Southern in a Military Appreciation football game at 1 p.m. in Hardy M. Graham Stadium. Admission for active duty military and veterans is free.
The university will also reveal a POW/MIA Chair during the game, which is a symbolic display of an empty chair to honor service members who are prisoners of war, missing or killed in action.
For information, contact the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615.
PHOTO: Veterans Week at UT Martin is taking place Nov. 10-14, and various events are being hosted to honor military veterans. Participants in the 2024 UT Martin veterans walk are pictured. This year’s walk is set for 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 12, and will begin at the Boling University Center. The public is invited to participate
