A Patriot Day event was staged on Sept. 11 in front of the college's newly opened Veterans Resource Center. The event honored the memories of the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and paid tribute those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country in the years that followed. On display were ceremonial military flags for each branch of the service, courtesy of grant support from American Legion Palisades Post 283. The generous $5,000 grant also covers book vouchers for student veterans. The flags are now on display in the Veterans Resource Center. Elected officials and community leaders were also in attendance. First Sergeant William (Jack) McDowell, one of the Montford Point Marines from North Carolina and a retired member of the U.S. Marine Corps who served in World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars, addressed the crowd and shared his story.
The new Veterans Resource Center in the recently opened Student Services building is open and ready to serve students, with dedicated staff members such as veterans counselor Tony Zapata, and Major Brenda Threatt, assistant director of the veterans services program, who coordinated the team of staff and students that organized the event.