IN HONOR OF SERVICE

Appreciation events scheduled

The purple and gold will honor the red, white and blue as East Carolina University hosts several military-related events leading up to Veterans Day.

On Thursday, Oct. 25, Dr. Harold Baumgarten will share his experience with students and the public at 3:30 p.m. in the Mendenhall Student Center Great Rooms. The 87-year-old Baumgarten, a D-Day survivor in World War II and multi-decorated veteran, was an adviser for director Steven Spielberg on the film “Saving Private Ryan.” 

Baumgarten was wounded five times during the Omaha Beach invasion at Normandy. While at ECU, he will speak to a Holocaust history class, eat lunch with ECU ROTC students, take a tour of the ECU Freedom Wall and speak with a group of student veterans. “Saving Private Ryan” will be shown at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24 in Hendrix Theatre for all ECU students, faculty and staff with an ECU One Card.

Baumgarten’s visit is sponsored by ECU’s Office of Student Transitions, Office of Military Programs, the Lifelong Learners Program, the Department of History and the Student Activities Board.

On Friday evening, Oct. 26, Baumgarten will be the guest speaker at the induction ceremony for the ECU Distinguished Military Service Society. Nine people, two posthumously, will be inducted to the group, which recognizes service to the university and nation. The Class of 2012 is James Bearden, Sheldon Downes, Steve Duncan, Fred Irons (posthumously), Kirk Little, Mike Myrick, Richard Neubauer, Walter Pories and John Reynolds, Sr. (posthumously).

The honorees will be recognized at halftime of ECU’s home football game against Navy on Saturday, Oct. 27 during the annual Military Appreciation Weekend. Also being recognized at halftime:

• Representatives from North Carolina’s military bases
• Nathan Rimpf, an ECU graduate wounded in Afghanistan this summer, who will assist with the coin toss at the 3:30 p.m. kickoff
• Food Lion employees who will present a $100,000 donation to ECU to establish doctoral fellowships for Operation Re-Entry North Carolina and an endowed scholarship in the College of Allied Health Sciences’ Department of Occupational Therapy. The Operation Re-Entry initiative is centered on research and projects that help veterans return to civilian life after service.
  

  Monique Best, Gulf War veteran and accounting technician for the Foundation Financial Service at ECU, was inducted into ECU’s Distinguished Military Service Society in 2011. In a July 2012 article published by ECU News Services, Best said she was honored to be recognized and excited about making new connections with other veterans on campus. Read the July 2012 article about Best and the society. (Photo by Cliff Hollis)

“It’s a constituency we’re focused on serving,” said Dr. Steve Duncan, assistant vice chancellor for administration and finance and director of military programs.

The game will feature a fly-over by a KC-135 fueling tanker from a reserve unit at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. Several vehicles, including the Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard racing car, tanks and information booths by different military units will be on public display before the game at the Murphy Center, Berkley Street and Clark-LeClair Stadium. An estimated 5,000 military members are expected to attend, many through the university’s Tickets for Troops effort for military personnel and their immediate families.

At 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 9, the Office of Military Programs will host a ceremony to dedicate about 20 engraved brick pavers to be added to the Memorial Walk across from the Freedom Wall in the west side of Christenbury Gym.

The pavers honor individuals who provided service in support of national defense, including military service and to organizations such as the Veterans Administration, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Support the Troops, Wounded Warriors and similar programs. Dawn Cash-Salau, whose husband and ECU graduate Chris Cash died in combat in Iraq, will speak on service and sacrifice.

The paver campaign raises funds for Army and Air Force ROTC student scholarships and is sponsored by the ECU College of Health and Human Performance and Office of Military Programs.

Oct. 24 – The movie “Saving Private Ryan” will be shown at 5:30 p.m. in Hendrix Theatre for all ECU students, faculty and staff with an ECU One Card.

Oct. 25 – Dr. Harold Baumgarten, an 87-year-old D-Day survivor and multi-decorated veteran, will share his experience with students and the public at 3:30 p.m. in the Mendenhall Student Center Great Rooms. Baumgarten was an adviser for director Steven Spielberg on “Saving Private Ryan.”

Oct. 26 – Nine members will be inducted into the ECU Distinguished Military Service Society in recognition of service to the university and nation.

Oct. 27 – Military Appreciation Weekend features the ECU-Navy football game at 3:30 p.m. with special recognition for military guests at halftime and a fly-over by a KC-135 fueling tanker from a reserve unit at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro.

Nov. 9 – About 20 new engraved brick pavers will be added to the Memorial Walk across from the Freedom Wall near Christenbury Gym in a 2 p.m. ceremony. The pavers honor individuals who have provided service in support of national defense.