On Monday, May 26, all across the country people gathered to mourn and celebrate those that have given their lives to defend the freedom of this country in honor of memorial day. Bellevue College a luncheon in celebration for this holiday on Wednesday, May 21 featuring a veteran speaker by the name of Anna Sprute.
Having flown helicopters for the army, Sprute came to speak about her experiences with the military and what Memorial Day means to her. “Growing up, it just meant a three-day weekend and time to spend with my family and friends. Then as I served over 24 years in the military, I learned that it had a much different meaning. It is about those that have said that they were willing to raise their right hand in sacrifice so then we could all be free. It is about selfless service, it is about courage, it’s about honor and duty and I think we should all be grateful to those in our nation that have given their lives for us.”
Wesley Jones is the Veteran’s Career Advancement Program manager for Bellevue College. He has a different view on what this holiday means, “It is a time to reflect on the people that have served for this country and have given their lives. It is a time for people outside of politics to really recognize what the military has done and the sacrifices they have made. It is a time of recognition to remember the people that have given their lives.”
Memorial Day also affects communities of people, not just individuals. Bellevue College Association for Veterans’s President Adam Stopka reflects on what Memorial Day means for the BC community, “Hosting a Memorial Day event on campus strengthens the BC community in a few ways. Veteran students are a unique group on campus, and this contributes to our general campus diversity. Further, as we as a nation move further from the draft military days and continue to maintain an all-volunteer force, the gap of understanding between those who have served and those who haven’t threatens to grow unless events like this are conducted to bring the two groups closer.”
Bellevue College also received a $10,000 donation from VFW post 2995. This donation will be used in order to help veteran students pay for college expenses to make sure veterans get all the help they deserve. The Memorial Day event at Bellevue College helped spread awareness about what the military has done for our country and what the people who have sacrificed their lives have
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