The event will include dinner, a musical performance by the Eastern Band Cherokee Northern Drum Group, and a talk by Richard Allen, a military veteran from the Eastern Band of Cherokee. The event is open to the public, but RSVPs are requested.

Brittani Blanchard, president of the Native American Student Association, said she wants attendees of the event to “understand that as a minority, Native Americans play a huge part. They’re a majority of the minorities that serve in the armed forces.”

She says that many people know about Native American code talkers during World War II, but that’s only one of the many contributions that Native Americans have made to the United States military.

Members of the Native American Student Association will be at the event to answer questions about Native American life and culture. The group includes members of several tribes including Seminole, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Navajo, Lumbee, and Monacan.

The event will be at 6:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Some spots are still open. To attend the event, e-mail utaises@utk.edu.

The first group of the pins will be given out today at an orientation session for veterans who are preparing to start classes at UT in the spring as transfer students.

The pins aren’t for widespread distribution; they are for student veterans.

Blamey said she hopes student veterans will wear the pins on their backpacks, shirts, or jackets. When they see someone else wearing the same pin, they’ll know they’ve found another veteran.

“We look for ways we can help them feel connected and recognized while also acknowledging they may be surrounded by classmates who do not share their same life experiences,” said Blamey, who also chairs the Task Force in Support of Student Veterans. The task force was created last fall to coordinate campus resources and link support services for student veterans.

UT has 799 student veterans or their dependents enrolled this year—a jump of more than 70 percent since 2009.

Students who are serving or have served in the military are invited to contact call 974-5725 or email ashleyblamey@utk.edu to get a pin.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of “Taps,” and with it a new tradition will be born. UT’s Task Force in Support of Student Veterans asked campus administration to allow Ayres Hall’s chimes to play “Taps” while a moment of silence is observed at noon on Veterans Day.

“We hope the recognition will be a message of support to our veteran and reservist students, faculty, and staff,” said Ashley Blamey, chair of the Task Force in Support of Student Veterans. “We are a single community supporting one another. We are all Volunteers.”

“Taps,” taken from the earlier bugle call “Scott Tattoo”, was arranged by American Civil War General Daniel Butterfield in 1862. It was officially recognized by the United States Army in 1874 and became a component of US military funerals in 1891.

The Task Force in Support of Student Veterans was established last year by Vice Chancellor for Student Life Tim Rogers. The task force brings faculty, staff, and students throughout campus together to coordinate resources and establish interdepartmental support networks for student veterans.

For more information about the task force, visit the SEE Center website.

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C O N T A C T :

Ashley Blamey (865-974-5725, ashleyblamey@utk.edu)

Homecoming events begin Sunday and culminate on Saturday, November 3, when the football Vols take on Troy in Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is at noon.

Veterans activities

UT veterans and their families are invited to campus for the third Veterans Reunion, a homecoming event held every five years.

“Your Service—Our Freedom” is the theme of the reunion, sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs. Events on Friday, November 2, and Saturday, November 3, include a luncheon, a Veterans Recognition Dinner, and a tailgate party.

To see a full list of events and to register online to attend, visit the UT Knoxville Alumni Association website. Contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 865-974-3011 or by e-mail at reunions@utk.edu for more information.

Homecoming highlights

The annual Homecoming parade will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, November 2. It starts at the Rock and travels east on Volunteer Boulevard. The grand marshal is Chamique Holdsclaw, former Lady Vol basketball star who went on to play for the WNBA with the Washington Mystics, the Los Angeles Sparks, the Atlanta Dream and the San Antonio Silver Stars. Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek and UT System President Joe DiPietro also will ride in the parade. Veterans and Little Vols are invited to participate.

The signature event of Homecoming—the annual Party in the Park—begins at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 3, in Circle Park. Admission is free and there will be live entertainment, cheerleaders, music, door prizes, and children’s activities. The World’s Largest MoonPie will be cut at 10:00 a.m.

Morrill Act plaque dedication

Cheek, DiPietro, and Institute of Agriculture Chancellor Larry Arrington will unveil a historical marker commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act during Ag Day on Saturday, November 3. The plaque dedication is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. outside the Ellington Plant Sciences building, near the intersection of Joe Johnson and E. J. Chapman drives.

The Ag Day street fair will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and feature a petting zoo, a cricket-spitting contest, and appearances by Smokey and Charlie, the television personality of Farm Bureau Insurance. For more information, visit the Institute of Agriculture website.

For more information about Homecoming activities, as well as details about making reservations for events that require them, see the Alumni Association’s Homecoming website.

Additional homecoming activities include:

Sunday, October 28

• Anything Goes, a variety of field games for students, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Fiji Island.

Monday, October 29

• Soapbox Derby, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. along Volunteer Boulevard near Stokely Athletics.

Tuesday, October 30

• 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, 4:00  to 10:00 p.m. in the HPER Bubble.

Wednesday, October 31

• Smokey’s Howl, a spirit competition for student organizations, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Talent Show, 7:00 p.m. in the University Center Auditorium.

Friday, November 2

• Pep Rally and Smokey’s Howl finals, 6:00 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Homecoming Comedy Show featuring Lav Luv, Nema Williams, and Sean Larkins, doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 7:30 p.m., at the Bijou Theater. Sponsored by the Black Cultural Programming Committee and Office of Multicultural Student Life, this show features three comedians who have appeared on BET’s Comic View. For ticket info, see knoxvilletickets.com.
• Friday Night Live at the Square Comedy Show featuring UT alumna Leanne Morgan, 7:30 p.m. at the Square Room on Knoxville’s Market Square. Reservations required.
• Alumni discount at the University Bookstore in the University Center, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alumni receive a 20 percent discount on all Volunteer Shop regularly priced merchandise.

Saturday, November 3

• Pre-Game Faculty Showcase, 10:00 a.m. in the University Center Ballroom. It will feature David Reidy, head of the Department of Philosophy, who will present “The Authority of Citizens: Its Nature and Limit.”
• African-American Hall of Fame induction, 10:00 a.m. at the Black Cultural Center. This year’s inductee is Jane S. Redmond, who retired from UT in 2008 after a twenty-six-year career. She has served as assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Life, director of the Women’s Center, and interim chairperson for the Commission for Blacks.
• The Office of Admissions’ “Continue the Tradition: Tips for Alumni and Legacies,” 10:30 a.m. in McClung Museum Auditorium.
• Thirteenth Annual Southeastern Stomp Fest, 7:00 p.m. at Knoxville Civic Coliseum. Purchase tickets at Tickets Unlimited locations or call 865-656-4444.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Your Service—Our Freedom is the theme of the reunion, sponsored by UT’s Office of Alumni Affairs. Events begin Friday, November 2, and continue through the football game against Troy University, Saturday, November 3.

“Veterans’ service represents the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom—a priceless gift,” said Phyllis Moore, interim senior director of alumni programing. “Reuniting is a way to reinforce and celebrate a unique bond. The Veterans Reunion is UT’s effort to personally thank our military alumni and friends for their unwavering service to our country.”

Registration is now open online. Cost for the weekend’s activities is $65 and includes the following:

Friday, November 2

Starting at noon, enjoy lunch under a tent and a program at the East Tennessee Veterans Memorial at World’s Fair Park. The program will feature UT’s ROTC program, The Center for the Study of War and Society, and the East Tennessee Veterans Association. After lunch, at 1:00 p.m., take a tour of the memorial.

Veterans are encouraged to march together in UT’s homecoming parade at 4:00 p.m.

At 7:00 p.m., a Veterans Recognition Dinner will be held at The Foundry at 747 World’s Fair Park Drive. The keynote speaker is UT Maj. Gen. James Holmes, an electrical engineering alumnus who serves as the US Air Force Deputy of Staff Operations Plans and Requirements.

Saturday, November 3

Cheer the Vols to victory at a tailgate party with food and entertainment in Circle Park three hours before kickoff.

Register online to attend Veterans Reunion events at volsconnect.com. Contact the Office of Alumni Affairs at 865-974-3011 or by e-mail at reunions@utk.edu for more information.

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C O N T A C T :

Phyllis Moore (865-974-3011, pmoore@utfi.org)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Nursing is answering a call from First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to serve the nation’s veterans as well as they have served their country. The college will join more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and more than 500 nursing schools in a coordinated effort to further educate our nation’s three million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

“Whether we’re in a hospital, doctor’s office or a community health center, nurses are often the first people we see,” said Obama. “Because of their expertise, they are trusted to be the frontline of America’s healthcare system. That’s why Jill and I knew we could turn to America’s nurses and nursing students to help our veterans and military families get the world-class care they’ve earned.”

More than 300,000 veterans returning from Afghanistan or Iraq have PTSD or TBI. Since 2000, more than 44,000 of those troops have suffered at least a moderate-grade traumatic brain injury. Veterans seeking care within the Veterans Affairs health system are often treated by healthcare professionals who have received extensive training in mental health issues. However, the majority of veterans seek care outside of the VA system in their local hospitals, and this effort will ensure their caregivers are aware of their special needs.

“We are committed to incorporating key concepts in all our programs that will promote optimal health and wellness for military families,” said Victoria Niederhauser, dean of the College of Nursing. “It is an honor and privilege to support this nationwide effort to raise awareness in how to better care for our veterans.”

A concerted effort to share the most up-to-date information across academic and practice settings will improve care for common combat-related issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and depression throughout the healthcare system.

The effort is led by the American Nurses Association, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National League for Nursing, in coordination with the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense which have outlined specific goals and commitments to the cause. For more information, visit the Joining Forces website.

UT’s College of Nursing is a nationally recognized leader. The college enrolls more than 600 students in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs.

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C O N T A C T :

Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)

KNOXVILLE — For Patrick Charles Rogers, 42, a student in UT’s executive aerospace and defense MBA program, serving in the military is a family tradition.

Rogers, standing beside a OH-58D Kiowa Warrior at the Tennessee Army Airfield State Facility at McGheeTyson Airport in 2006.

“I have ancestors with documented service in the Revolutionary War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam,” he said. “Further, I have served in Operation Desert Shield, Stabilization Force Bosnia, and Operation Iraq Freedom.”

Rogers enlisted in the US Army after graduating from high school in Kansas. He was selected to be part of the “The Old Guard,” the Army’s official ceremonial unit and escort to the president in Washington, DC, under Presidents Reagan and George Bush.

As part of that ceremonial unit, based at Fort Myers, Virginia, he helped with numerous ceremonies at the White House and the Pentagon, as well as at some major events involving the president, like the G-7 Summit in Houston in 1990. He was in the presence of world leaders, including Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of Great Britain; Helmut Kohl, former chancellor of Germany; and Brian Mulroney, former prime minister of Canada. He also went to Canada to retrieve the bodies of some American soldiers killed during the War of 1812 so they could be reburied in a veterans cemetery in New York.

He was honorably discharged after three years and enrolled at North Georgia College. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1994, Rogers commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army’s aviation branch.

He was initially stationed at Fort Rucker, Ala., where he learned to fly the Kiowa helicopters.

“During my career, I have been stationed in Fort Benning in Georgia, Fort McNair in Washington, DC, Fort Myer in Alexandria, Virginia, Fort Carson in Colorado, Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart in Savannah, Georgia, Millington Naval Air Station in Memphis, McGhee Tyson Airfield in Knoxville, and at Fort Riley in Kansas. Further I have deployed for operations in Kuwait, Bosnia, and Iraq.”

In November 2010, after twenty-three years of enlisted and commissioned service, Rogers retired as a major.

He’s now using his post-9/11 GI bill education benefits to attend the graduate program at UT. He’ll finish in December.

“After spending more time in boots than as a civilian, I realized that I should continue to further my education as a lifelong learner,” he said. “I figured getting an executive aerospace and defense MBA degree would greatly complement my experiences.”

Rogers said he hopes to find a job with a local corporation after graduating.

“As for poignant moments and memories, I have many: playing golf with a Medal of Honor winner, talking to the prime minister of Canada, scaring myself more than enough times in a helicopter, jumping out of airplanes and helicopters, driving the Bradley armored fighting vehicles, putting a homeless teenager in the army, giving him a second chance…and lastly, attending funerals of friends, acquaintances, and soldiers who watched and felt the pain of loss.

“I’m no hero, but I knew and served with some.”

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

A flight of cadets and a color guard from Detachment 800 will march in Knoxville’s 85th annual Veteran’s Day parade, which steps off at 10:45 a.m. on Gay Street.

After that, two AFROTC members will be honored at the East Tennessee Military Affairs Council’s Annual Awards and Recognition Luncheon. Tech. Sgt. Lisa M. Mitchell will receive the Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year award and Cadet Thomas David Winter, a junior in aerospace engineering, will receive the Col. Jack Westbrook Scholarship.

Mitchell manages the paperwork for 115 cadets within Detachment 800 and also manages the uniform program, which has been recognized by both the AFROTC Southeast Region Commander and the AFROTC Commander as one of the best in the nation. She has been chosen to train incoming NCOs for all 144 detachments in the U.S.

Winter heads the physical training program for cadets in Detachment 800. He is also the Arnold Air Society Area V commander. He has successfully completed Army Air Assault School in Fort Campbell, Ky., and wears the U.S. Army Air Assault Badge on his uniform. He was also recognized as a Distinguished Graduate upon completing field training in the summer of 2010.

Wrapping up the day’s events, members of the Air Force and Army ROTC will hear retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Norman C. Gaddis talk about his Vietnam experiences and subsequent career.

A native of Dandridge, Gaddis graduated from UT in 1947.

He enlisted in October 1942 and was recalled to active duty in February 1949. As a fighter pilot, he earned more than 4,300 flying hours. On May 12, 1967, while serving on his 72nd combat mission in Vietnam, his F-4 Phantom was shot down and he was captured by the North Vietnamese. At the time, he was a colonel.

Gaddis was placed in the Hanoi Hilton, where he was the ranking officer. When offered release, Gaddis refused to leave because he was the ranking officer. He was finally released on March 4, 1973, after being in captivity for 2,124 days.

Gaddis, along with former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, were the two senior U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War.

Gaddis — who went on to serve as deputy director of operations in the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C. — was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Purple Heart, Air Force Outstanding Award Ribbon and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross.

Gaddis received the Silver Star twice. He received one for flying against anti-aircraft fire, surface-to-air missiles and enemy aircraft on a dangerous escort mission the day he was shot down. He received the other for resisting mental and physical torture and beatings from the enemy while in captivity.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)