ETAMU Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes at 35th Annual Veterans Vigil
Students, faculty and community members unite to honor veterans during this 35-year tradition of gratitude.
One of East Texas A&M University's longest-running traditions returns this fall with the 35th installment of the Veterans Vigil. Scheduled for Wednesday, November 12 in the Rayburn Student Center at East Texas A&M, this free event is open to the public.
Schedule of events
The program will begin with a reception at 10 a.m. and an opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor of Rayburn Student Center. The ceremony will include musical performances by the East Texas A&M Chorale and Band members, poem readings by alumni Dona Cassel and Don Dollins, and color guard duties by the Princeton High School Navy JROTC. Additionally, Army Specialist Training Program Unit 4813 will present a memorial scholarship to Bianca Santiago, a U.S. Army veteran and current student at East Texas A&M University.
The opening ceremony will conclude with the lighting of the vigil flame in the crossroads outside the student center. East Texas A&M employee and U.S. Air Force veteran Howard Pierson will light the Vigil Flame.
The public is invited to return at 4:30 p.m. for closing ceremonies and the extinguishing of the flame. The Hunt County Veterans Honor Guard will also perform a 21-gun salute.
This year's guest speaker
The opening ceremony will feature special guest speaker Dr. Fred Fuentes, East Texas A&M alum and executive director of DFW outreach, and U.S. Army Veteran.
A native Texan, Fuentes served proudly in four military police operations in Latin America in the early 1990s, including Operation Safe Haven. Fuentes also worked as a USAID/Global Health Fellows Program Fellow with Mercy Corps International in Guatemala and Honduras, where he provided HIV/AIDS education and empowerment of post-conflict, rural indigenous youth.
Employed by East Texas A&M since 2008, he has held multiple roles on campus, including counselor in the university's Counseling Center and assistant dean and director roles. Among his four college degrees is a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from East Texas A&M.
Additional Veterans Activities
Veterans are encouraged to take advantage of special offers on campus in the days leading up to the Veterans Vigil. From November 8 to 11, veterans receive a 10% discount at the campus bookstore located inside the Rayburn Student Center. Veterans are also invited to enjoy a free lunch at the university's Lions Mane Cafeteria on November 11. Guests must present their Military ID, DD214, veteran's card, or VFW or American Legion card to confirm their veteran status.
For more information about this year's Veterans Vigil, contact the Office of Veteran and Military Services.