WT, Canyon to Host Joint Veterans Day Celebration

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University and the City of Canyon will host a community Veterans Day celebration.

The joint commemoration for veterans, active-duty military and Gold Star families will begin at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at the Veterans Memorial on the WT campus.

“Veterans Day remembrance has become one of the most meaningful campus events for me,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said. “It is a sacred task to honor veterans and remember those who died in service to Americans and their freedoms.”

City officials believe it is a “continuing honor and duty to recognize the courage and sacrifice of our veterans,” said Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders.

“This year’s Veterans Day ceremony is a powerful reminder of the freedoms we share because of their service and commitment,” Hinders said. “As a community, we come together not only to remember those who served our nation, but to celebrate the veterans who continue to serve Canyon every day.”

The celebration will include remarks from Capt. Christopher M. Jones, the lead Protestant chaplain at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, New Mexico. Jones provides spiritual care, crisis counseling and ethical and moral leadership to more than 6,000 soldiers and family members.

The event also is scheduled to include a flyover provided by West Texas Warbird Flight.

A wreath will be laid at the memorial to commemorate members of the WT family who gave their lives in military service.

Shelby Perkins, a U.S. Navy veteran and senior equine industry and business major from Amarillo, will deliver the invocation. The Canyon High School Choir will perform the national anthem and an armed forces tribute, and the Tascosa High School Junior ROTC will present colors.

Free hot dogs and Buffalo cookies also will be served.

Parking will be available for veterans and families in front of Old Main, with additional parking available across from Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

For information, call 806-651-2070.

Veterans and military-affiliated students make up more than 6 percent of WT’s student population.

“Veterans Day is a reminder that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off,” said Amy Criss, director of WT’s Office of Military and Veterans Services. “We honor them best by ensuring they can thrive in higher education and beyond. We are proud to walk with veterans during their transition from service to scholarship.”

The office recently won a 2025 gold Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award by the Texas Veterans Commission.

WT has the No. 1 online bachelor’s programs for veterans among Texas schools and No. 19 in the country, according to the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings. Online MBA programs for veterans ranked No. 62, or No. 7 across Texas schools.

The office also will cohost a Military Appreciation Night at the Nov.15 WT football game in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium, as well as a veteran services fair on Nov. 13 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center and a hike with WT Outdoors on Nov. 14. The WT Student Veterans organization is running a food drive for High Plains Food Bank through Nov. 21.

WT’s goal to be a leading institution in the United States for enrolling military personnel is a key metric in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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