WT, Canyon to Commemorate Veterans Day in Joint Ceremony Nov. 11

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

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University and the city of Canyon will join forces again to honor veterans.

A joint Veterans Day 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 ceremony on the campus is a special time for both the University and the city,” said Dr. Neil Terry, WT interim president. “The Veterans Memorial provides a constant reminder of those who sacrificed their life, those who currently serve and those who have served our country through all branches of the military.”

Honoring veterans is “both a privilege and a responsibility,” said Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders.

“Veterans Day provides an opportunity for our community to come together in gratitude for the men and women who have served our country and protected the freedoms we enjoy today,” Hinders said. “We are proud to partner with WT in this annual tradition, recognizing not only the sacrifices of those who have served, but also the lasting contributions veterans continue to make in Canyon and on campus.”

The celebration will include remarks from retired Maj. Gen. Joe D. Robinson. A Lubbock native, Robinson joined the U.S. Army in 1989, served on several combat assignments in Iraq and Kuwait, and retired in 2022 as commanding general of the 3rd Theater Medical Command.

The event also is scheduled to include a flyover provided by West Texas Warbird Flight. Dr. William Takacs, professor of trumpet in the School of Music in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities, will perform taps.

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

Eddie Zamarron, a U.S. Navy veteran and senior engineering technology 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 7 percent of WT’s student population.

Military and Veterans Services provides support for active-duty service members, veterans and families of either, offering access to a variety of educational benefits programs for them and their dependents.

For a third year, the office won a gold Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award from the Texas Veterans Commission.

In September, U.S. News & World Report ranked WT as No. 15 for Best Colleges for Veterans in the west, up from No. 25 a year ago. Among Texas schools, WT is No. 3 for veterans.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University 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. WT boasts an enrollment of about 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 65 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 41 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and three doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference; WT offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—