UC's Tribute to Veterans Will be Meaningful Moment for Student Who Served

Courtney Gillespie is two years removed from serving in Iraq, yet her memories are as sharp as if she had just returned.

Among the experiences that come into particularly clear focus are her night flights over the war-torn country while deployed in the United States Army from 2008 to 2009 as an operations sergeant in Taji, a small town 20 miles north of Baghdad.

"Sure, there were lots of terrorists and it was a very hostile environment, but when you are flying over at night, all you see are the lights down below," said Gillespie, now a senior sociology major in UC's Army ROTC program. "It would remind me of home. It was kind of like the most beautiful thing you would ever see. There was no noise except for the helicopter."

It was then during those trips to meetings with her colonel that she was able to take her mind off of the war, the casualties and the stresses of her duties, which for her unit, included serving as a mortuary affairs collection point following roadside bombings.

Gillespie and Air Force ROTC cadet Ashton Terrence, also a veteran, will be recognized as part of

UC's Veterans Day Ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 10 on McMicken Commons.

"Sometimes veterans get pushed underneath the rug," said Gillespie. "It is important for people to remember there have been many who have fought to death or near death. And they don't get the recognition they deserve."

The university community as well as the public are invited to the outdoor ceremony and to the reception that follows in the Great Hall of Tangeman University Center.

The morning will feature UC's Reserve Officers' Training Corps Color Guard along with about 100 cadets in formation, 50 from the Air Force ROTC and 50 from the Army ROTC. The UC Bearcat Band will perform military marches and play patriotic tributes, including a song from each major conflict dating back to the Civil War.

Buglers will again close out the program by playing "Taps" from the facing towers of TUC and McMicken Hall that overlook McMicken Commons. Veterans in attendance will be given a commemorative coin as a small thank you for their sacrifice. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will also be moved to Great Hall.

The guest speaker for the ceremony, which will be themed "Service Since 9/11/01,"  is Col. Steven Higgins, commander of Wright-Patterson Medical Center, the third largest U.S. Air Force medical center. Higgins, a former flight surgeon, is responsible for the training of hundreds of physicians, dentists, nurses and technicians who administer care inside the 65-bed facility.

University offices will be closed to observe the Veterans Day Holiday on Nov. 11.

Read more about UC's Nov. 10 ceremony

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