|
 Tanya
Crabb, a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, will
deliver the keynote speech at the Veterans Day flag-raising ceremony at
11:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10, at California State University, Fresno.
The observance pays tribute to university students and employees who are
military service veterans. It takes place at the university flagpoles
southeast of the Thomas Administration Building and east of Memorial
Court, which was established in 1955 to commemorate fallen veterans.
The event is sponsored by the Veterans Services Office in conjunction
with the university’s Army and Air Force ROTC units. It is free and open
to the public. Veterans from the community are especially welcome, said
Robyn Gutierrez, Fresno State’s veterans certification coordinator. She
expects several veterans organizations from the community to attend.
The university will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 11, for the holiday. The
Bulldog Marching Band, Fresno State cheerleaders and the school sports
mascot, TimeOut, will help lead the Veterans Day Parade at 11 a.m. in
downtown Fresno.
Crabb, who is a counselor for University Outreach Services at Fresno
State, served in the Marines from 1988 to1992. She is a native of
Kingston, Jamaica, who grew up in Brooklyn and graduated magna cum laude
from City College, City University of New York, with a Bachelor of Arts
in psychology.
She is enrolled in the
marriage and family therapy master’s degree program at Fresno State. She
and her husband have a 7-year-old son.
Military service runs in
Crabb’s family: her husband, Robert, was a Marine infantry officer, her
brother served in the Navy, her sister is an Iraq War veteran as an Army
combat medic and her nephew serves in the Army National Guard.
Monday’s tribute begins after the ROTC units march across campus from
their headquarters at the North Gym. Scottish bagpiper Ken Bain will
perform “The 42 Highlanders March” as the detachments march. Master of
ceremonies Bernie Vinovrski, a Marine veteran, will direct the flag
raising. Vinovrski is associate vice president of Enrollment Services,
which houses the Veterans Services Office.
A Fresno State bugler will perform “Reveille” as the flags are raised
and Lori Alamano of the University Police Department will sing the
National Anthem.
The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Bruce Thiesen, district manager
of the Clovis Veterans Memorial District. He is a past national
commander of the American Legion and former California secretary of
veteran affairs.
The bugler will play “Taps” as a tribute to fallen veterans and Bain
will play “Scotland the Brave” as the ROTC units depart after the
ceremony.
“America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America” will be performed by the
Fresno State Chamber Ensemble led by Fresno State music professor Anna
Hamre.
Col. Kevin Martin, the Air
Force ROTC Southwest Region Commander from Randolph Air Force Base in
San Antonio, Texas, will attend to present the Fresno State AFROTC with
a national award it won recently, the Right of Line Award for Best
Detachment in the Nation (medium-size category). Lt. Col. Samuel
Vandiver, commander of Fresno State’s AFROTC, will accept the award then
present it to the university.
Another recognition of veterans will be at the Nov. 15 Bulldogs football
game vs. New Mexico State, when the 144th Fighter Wing of the California
National Air Guard plans a veterans’ salute flyover prior to the 2 p.m.
kickoff.
The Veterans Services Office is part of the California State University
system’s Troops-To-College Program at each of its 23 campuses that
assists veterans with the process required to use their veterans'
educational benefits, such as waiver of non-resident fees.
Located in the north lobby of the Joyal Administration Building, Fresno
State’s services include a welcome and orientation program, priority
registration for classes and the Veterans Support Council to address
educational needs. Qualified veterans also are allowed admission after
the published application deadlines.
Plans are under way to start a student veterans club on campus.
Interested students may contact Gutierrez at 559.278.7030 or e-mail
rgutierrez@csufresno.edu.
|
