Yellow ribbons have returned to the Quad, signaling the university鈥檚 support for veterans and Veterans Day (Nov. 11).
Some 15 people gathered yesterday (Nov. 6) for a campus tradition that is more than a decade old 鈥 tying yellow ribbons around nearly every tree on the Quad.
The event had to be rescheduled to later in the day because of the morning rain, but staff from the , along with other Aggies, were able to complete their task.
鈥淭he reason yellow ribbons are important to me is because of the symbolism it represents for all military members, whether they are currently serving, retired, deployed, or never been deployed, to honor their service,鈥 said Jonathan Ramer, 鈥媣eterans center coordinator. 鈥淏eing third generation military, where my grandfather and father both served, and coming from a military family, it provides perspective of how it is my way of honoring our heritage.鈥
Yellow ribbons have a long history associated with support for service members, popularized by songs dating back to the 1910s and 1970s.
On campus, the tradition of adorning trees on the Quad began in 2011. The brainchild of Felipe Grimaldo, a Marine Corps veteran who graduated from 69成人 in 2013 after serving two tours in Iraq, the effort was an attempt to bring Veterans Day to the forefront and show support for active-duty and past service members.
Chancellor Gary S. May brought the message of support for veterans to a wider community through , director of Transfer and Veteran Services.
鈥淎ll week, we honor our staff, faculty and student veterans who served in the armed forces,鈥 May said.
The university will be in observance of Veterans Day.
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Cody Kitaura is the editor of Dateline 69成人 and can be reached by email or at 530-752-1932.