T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Marshalltown Community College (MCC) Physical Education Professor Kevin Benzing delivers remarks during a brief Veterans Day ceremony at Dejardin Hall on Tuesday morning.

After a temporary hiatus due to staff transitions, the annual tradition of a Veterans Day program resumed at Marshalltown Community College (MCC) on Tuesday morning with a brief ceremony at Dejardin Hall for staff and students.

Provost Matt Schmit provided introductory remarks and reiterated the school’s mission of supporting veteran students and staff before Physical Education Professor Kevin Benzing delivered the keynote address, sharing the history of the holiday dating back to its roots as Armistice Day at the end of World War I. After WWII and the Korean War, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

“It is a day to express gratitude for the courage, sacrifice and commitment of those who have worn the uniform of the United States,” Benzing said.

He then read the poem “I Am a Veteran” by Andrea Brett and became emotional as he reached a portion about the perils of military service.

“I gave orders to fire, I followed commands.

I lost an arm, my buddy lost his life.”

Event organizer Benita Petersen then read the names of students at MCC and Iowa Valley Grinnell who are either veterans themselves or the children of veterans, and Schmit then delivered closing remarks about the freedom and liberties veterans fought to preserve.

“For me, that’s really one of the things that hits home that not everywhere in the world do they have those liberties, so I’m very appreciative of the efforts they put forth over the years to make sure that still happens,” he said. “So, on behalf of Marshalltown Community College, thank you to everybody in attendance, to our veterans, to our students and our community for joining us today. Your service and support remind us of the strength and unity that define this very day.”

Petersen said that next year’s event will be larger and open to the public.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255

or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.