Colorado Sen. Brandon Shaffer to Join CU in Honoring Veterans During Nov. 11 Campus Ceremony

November 3, 2009

The University Memorial Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the state's official memorial to war veterans, will host a Veterans Day ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The 11 a.m. ceremony in the Glenn Miller Ballroom will feature Colorado Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, and the University of Colorado ROTC Color Guard. Other speakers will include retired Col. Greg Akers, director of CU-Boulder's Office of Veterans' Affairs and CU-Boulder student Isabel Guerra, the UMC board chair. A reception will follow in the UMC Veterans Lounge.

Shaffer is president of the Colorado Senate and represents Senate District 17. He was born in Denver and received his bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University in 1993. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1993 to 1997. He then taught English in Japan for one year before returning to Colorado to enroll in the CU School of Law, from which he earned his law degree in 2001.

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 two 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 scale 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.

Veterans will be recognized in the stands during the CU-Texas A&M football game on Saturday, Nov. 7. 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. Tickets must be purchased by Friday, Nov. 6. For more information call 303-492-0099.

Contact

Kristi Graham-Gitkind, 303-735-2603
Pam Henderek, 303-492-8153
Greg Akers, 303-735-3028
Greg Swenson, 303-492-3113

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