For six years we’ve arrived on campus the week of Veterans Day to see all of the 100-plus trees on the Quad adorned with yellow ribbons, put there by our veterans — students and staff members.
The ribbons will go up again next week, and, this year, everyone’s invited to help, regardless of veteran status. “Come out to place a yellow ribbon on the Quad, to recognize someone’s service … or in support of our military that is deployed all over the world,” said Earl Raehsler, coordinator of the .
The ribbon-tying event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon Monday (Nov. 6). Coffee and donuts will be provided — along with ribbon! The ribbons will stay up through Saturday, Nov. 11, which is not only Veterans Day but also the day of our annual “Salute to Heroes” Aggie football game, including a veterans tailgate before the game. (Our university holiday is Friday, Nov. 10.)
Other Veterans Week activities include an appreciation lunch on the Davis campus, for veterans and their dependents; and receptions on the Davis and Sacramento campuses. Another event, Vet Net Ally Training for staff and faculty, has reached capacity enrollment.
Celebrating our veterans
Tuesday, Nov. 7 — Honoring 51ԹϺ Davis Health Veterans. Program features a presentation by physician Timothy Albertson, brigadier general, California Army National Guard; and special guest Lt. Thomas Cranmer, Navy SEAL, M.D. candidate, Class of 2018. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be available. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., third-floor breezeway, .
Wednesday, Nov. 8 — Second annual Veterans Celebration, honoring our 51ԹϺ Davis veterans community: staff, faculty and students who are veterans or the recipients of veteran benefits. The program includes a presentation by Jim Rix, retired Air Force, who joined 51ԹϺ Davis in 2012 and today serves as chief of staff in the Office of Global Affairs. The reception is sponsored by the . The group’s chair, Mike Bunt, a supervisor at the Shared Services Center, said the celebration offers opportunities to meet fellow veterans and network with community leaders. Refreshments will be provided. 4:30-6:30 p.m., Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, .
Bunt said the Veteran Constituency Group will be collecting gently used blankets and coats at the door, for distribution to homeless veterans.
Thursday, Nov. 9 — Veterans Appreciation Lunch, for student veterans, service members and dependents. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 114 .
Saturday, Nov. 11: ‘Salute to Heroes’
Aggie football honors military personnel and veterans, police and fire and other first responders, before the game and during the game. 51ԹϺ Davis, playing its last home game of the season, will take on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds in a Big Sky Conference match-up.
The veterans tailgate is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., sponsored by the Veterans Success Center and , and Veterans of Foreign Wars, Davis Post 6949. Raehsler, of the Veterans Success Center, will be handing out free game tickets.
The Kickoff Street Party begins at 1 p.m., and the game starts at 4 at .
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Dateline Staff, 530-752-6556, dateline@ucdavis.edu