APSU President Mike Licari ate lunch in the Caf to celebrate local veterans on November 6. Photo by Anabelle Coker | THE ALL STATE
Monday, November 6 marked the start of Veterans Celebration Week at Austin Peay State University, put together by APSU’s Military and Veterans Affairs Division (MVAD).
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Morgan University Center Caf, students had the opportunity to eat their lunch with local veterans, featuring a special Veteran’s Lunch Menu.
Students that chose to eat their lunch in the Caf could also take a moment of their day to write a letter of appreciation to a veteran, thanking them for their service and adding any additional comments of their choosing.
APSU student and veteran Landis Menzie, served our country for 20 years. When speaking with Landis about his greatest experience in the armed forces, he said he enjoyed getting to meet so many soldiers of different cultures all around the world.
“There are some guys that deserved to be sitting at the table in front of you that didn’t make it home. People like me are lucky they made it home,” said Landis.
Ian Paston served in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard for a combined total of 12 years, and despite the sad memories that come with serving, he said it was an overall great experience for him and is glad that he did it.
When asked why it is important that we celebrate veterans, Ian said, “People that do serve do so willingly and it is definitely a difficult task to do. I appreciate that we do celebrate veterans.”
As APSU continues to celebrate local veterans this week, remember to thank a veteran for their service, or get involved with some of the other events the Military and Veterans Affairs Division has put together leading up to Veterans Day:
- MVAD Celebration and Newton Center Birthday– November 8, 4-7 p.m. (428 College St.)
- VUB Veterans Day Celebration– November 9, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Ellington Building, Room 325)
- Military Hall of Fame Induction Dinner– November 10, 6 p.m. (Morgan University Center)
- Military Appreciation Game Tailgate– November 11, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (APSU Tailgate Alley)
