Veterans honored throughout Mid-Missouri on Friday for Veterans Day

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Veterans were honored throughout Mid-Missouri on Friday with several ceremonies.

A wreath-laying ceremony took place outside the Boone County Courthouse this morning, remembering the Americans who stepped up to defend the nation. Members of the United States Exercise Tiger Foundation and Daughters of the American Revolution honored veterans along with members of MU's ROTC program.

Medals were awarded to the first 30 veterans that came out to participate and watch the ceremony.

The Boone County Courthouse will be illuminated green until Nov. 13 as part of their participation in Operation Green light, which is a nationwide initiative that is meant to provide recognition for veterans and help in areas they need.

"Operation Green light is a national recognition of veterans," Boone County District 1 Commissioner Justin Aldred said. "It's meant to recognize the issues that are facing veterans at home. It looks at service transition back into civilian life, things like food scarcity, mental health and chemical dependency."

According to Aldred, who is a veteran, those are some of the things some veterans face when returning home.  

The University of Missouri held a wreath-laying ceremony at Memorial Union, a building on campus dedicated to MU students who lost their lives in both world wars. There are 144 names are carved into the stone arch-way, serving as a constant reminder and symbol of the ultimate sacrifice made by students of the school.

A color guard -- as well as branches from MU's ROTC program -- appeared to honor the fallen.

"Our debt to them, cannot be expressed in mere words," Richard Barohn, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, said. "So it's fitting that we pause on this day, every November 11th, to honor our veterans who serve us so well."

Every name etched into Memorial Union was read and a moment of silence was held in remembrance.

Memorial Union came into fruition at the end of World War I, when faculty, staff and students were calling for a memorial to be built.

Funding and construction of the tower and its two wings began in the early 1920s, but was stopped due to the Great Depression. It was eventually finished after World War II.

When funding started on April 9, 1921, within three days students and alumni had pledged $238,000 dollars, which is equal to about $4 million today.

Columbia College prides itself on their alumni and student body who hold some type of military status. 20,000 out of the roughly 97,000 alumni hold either veteran or active-duty status.

Today, Columbia College hosted a tree lighting in remembrance of Americans in the Armed Forces. .

The Historic American Legion Post 202 will hold a dedication ceremony Nov. 12 for a U.S. Army Sheridan tank. The ceremony will be from 1-3 p.m.

The tank, sitting outside the Legion's building, is meant to serve as a symbol of freedom.