Washburn honors veterans with a dedication ceremony held Nov. 10, 2023, at the southwest corner of Morgan Hall. Washburn has an annual Veterans Day ceremony to recognize those who have served in the United States.
Washburn president, JuliAnn Mazachek, spoke on Washburn’s history of supporting veterans and recognizing them for their service.
“To this day, we constantly strive to instill in our students that sense of service towards something greater than themselves, that our veterans typify,” said Mazachek. “Non nobis solum, and to our veterans themselves, Washburn is there and is here for you.”
Former Washburn president, Jerry Farley, who was a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army, started a project to build the memorial site in August 2022. The project cost a total of $140,000, a goal quickly reached through donations.
Marshall Meek, president of the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation, opened the ceremony with a brief history of the site.
Washburn has a history of community members, faculty, staff and students fighting for the U.S. Before the new memorial was built, the site consisted of a flagpole and a plaque dedicated to those who fought in the Civil War.
Meek explained how although that memorial served its purpose, many within the Washburn community were looking to create something new.
“They started imagining a memorial that could serve as a central site for all veterans’ remembrance on campus,” Meek said.
He went on to recognize those veterans within the audience who had served. In addition, the site was cleansed and smudged by the Standing Bear Intertribal Brotherhood at 11:11 a.m. to recognize the ending of World War I.
Roger Marshall, a U.S. senator for Kansas, then took the podium to give a few words. He thanked veterans for their services as well as their families. Marshall often visits memorials within different communities as they serve as a reminder for him.
“I spend a lot of time in nameless hotels and drinking coffee on the run, but I always try to stop at each one of those memorials,” Marshall said. “It reminds me of why I’m doing this job, why I’m serving and it reminds me of the communities across the state of Kansas. Remember and honor those who have served this great nation, and I couldn’t be prouder to be here today at Washburn University.”
Mazachek wrapped up the ceremony by explaining how Washburn has always been a military-friendly school and annually earns a designation in the Guide to Military-Friendly Schools. Washburn is also the first school in Kansas to earn the distinction of being a Purple Heart University.
“I have always been so proud to be a part of a university that understands what it means to not only honor veterans and service members but to truly support them,” Mazachek said. “It goes even deeper than that, though; service, sacrifice and working towards something greater than ourselves as a fundamental part of Washburn’s DNA.”
The ceremony was closed with Captain Herschel Stroud and Captain J. Stevenson who played “Taps,” a tune at veterans’ memorials, funerals and ceremonies to honor those who served in America’s armed forces.
Learn more about the Washburn University veterans memorial here.
Edited by Jayme Thompson and Jeremy Ford
