The University of Tennessee at Martin will host its 26th Memorial Day commemoration program at 9 a.m., Friday, May 22, in the patio area between the Boling University Center and the Paul Meek Library on the university’s main campus.
There is no admission, and the public is welcome to attend. Parking is available in the lots adjacent to Paul Meek Library and Boling University Center, found along Mount Pelia Road.
Lt. Col. Robert Hawkins, professor of military science, will be the program emcee. The colors will be presented by the UT Martin Army ROTC Battalion, which includes Cadet Ian Eastridge, a sport business major from Dover, and Cadet Mason Enochs, a computer science major from Newbern. The national anthem will be sung by Sarah Del Valle, a cell and molecular biology major from Union City, and taps will be played by Kevon Finch, a music major from Milan.
Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr. and Weakley County Mayor Dale Hutcherson will welcome attendees to the program.
The guest speaker will be retired Col. John Cooper of Mount Juliet, a 1989 graduate of UT Martin in business administration.
A native of Humboldt, Cooper’s active duty in the Army spanned 28 years as an intelligence and human resources officer, specializing in senior-level advising in intelligence and human resources strategic structure.
Cooper served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His service also includes multiple deployments and operations throughout the Middle East, most notably in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom in Iraq and Kuwait.
He has overseen large-scale human resource operations, Army casualty and mortuary affairs, and workforce planning for thousands of military personnel worldwide. His work in intelligence has contributed to national security, counter-terrorism efforts, and strategic alliances with partner nations.
Cooper currently serves as a senior human resource management and intelligence security cooperation adviser at Booz Allen Hamilton, providing strategic human resources and intelligence consulting to foreign governments in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense.
His expertise has also been instrumental in the top secret/sensitive compartmented information classified government contract sector, where he served as director of human resources and recruiting at Universal Strategy Group Inc. leading human resources, talent acquisition strategies and workforce planning for specialized government agencies like the Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigations and Special Operations and Special Mission organizations.
Cooper is married to the former Tanza Perry, a 1988 UT Martin graduate in business administration and member of the Delta Signa Theta Sorority Inc.
Contact the UT Martin Office of University Relations at 731-881-7615 for more information about the event.
PHOTO: Volunteers help to set up flags in the field south of University Drive in Martin. UT Martin will host its 26th commemorative program at 9 a.m., Friday, May 22.
