The University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado's official memorial to veterans, will host a Veterans Day ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom.
The public ceremony will feature State Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, and the University of Colorado ROTC Color Guard. Other speakers will include Carlos Garcia, UMC Director and CU-Boulder student Brandon Kinnard, UMC board chair. A reception will follow in the UMC Veterans Lounge.
Heath, a United States Army veteran, represents Senate District 18. Heath was elected to the Senate in 2008, and chaired the state's Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission in 2009. Currently, Heath chairs the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee, and serves on the Senate Education and Appropriations committees.
Heath earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a juris doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Army for 23 years, with nine years of active duty and 14 years of reserve service.
In 1947, more than half of all college students were World War II veterans. When funding began for the new student union building on the CU-Boulder campus that same year, CU students and Colorado citizens decided that the building would serve as a living memorial to Coloradans who had served in the world wars. Colorado Gov. Lee Knous issued a proclamation stating, "The Memorial Center at the University of Colorado shall be the official state memorial to those who served and to those who died in these great wars to preserve our democratic freedom."
The UMC is the custodian for artifacts from the U.S.S. Colorado, a battleship active from 1942 to 1945. The ship's wheel and bell, and a cast-iron scaled model of the battleship are on permanent display in the UMC Veterans Lounge, as is the 48-star American flag that flew on the ship during World War II.
The CU-Boulder Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band will present the free, public performance "Veterans Day: A Musical Salute to Courage and Honor" on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Macky Auditorium. Call the CU Presents Box Office at 303-492-8008 or visit for more information.
In addition to the Veterans Day ceremony, Veterans will be recognized in the stands during the CU-Iowa State football game on Saturday, Nov. 13. In celebration of Veterans Day and in recognition of their service to the country, veterans and their families also are eligible to purchase tickets for Saturday's game at the reduced price of $5 per ticket. For more information, call 303-492-4356. Veterans tickets are not available to purchase on the day of the game and must be ordered by Friday, November 12.
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