Fallen veterans honored with national roll call in celebration of Veteran’s Day

CSUN ROTC member, Edgar Rivas, a political science major, leads his colleagues to the main stage at the USU on Thursday. The Veterans Day event held a national roll call to honor fallen men and women service women in California. Photo credit: John Saringo-Rodriguez / Photo Editor

CSUN held its first national roll call in honor of fallen soldiers from California Thursday for CSUN’s celebration of Veteran’s Day at the USU.

“We want to honor every veteran at this event,” said Jorge Reyes, lectures and culture event assistant for the USU. “However we are conducting a national roll call for fallen soldiers who came from California.”

According to Reyes, this is CSUN’s first national roll call. The names of over 700 fallen soldiers from California were read aloud among an audience of CSUN staff, faculty, students and community members.

“This event is a good thing, as we are giving back something to the veterans,” said Jorge Salcido, a sophomore studying biology. “It’s a lot of gratitude for the veterans (who fought) for our country.”

Salcido and Sam Fettig, a junior studying communication studies, oversaw a letter to the veterans booth. Pins and flyers were being handed out to those who wrote a letter to a veteran.

“I feel wonderful about volunteering for this event,” Fettig said. “There are very few times to give back to the active military. It feels good to have people come and write letters for veterans.”

Jamie Valle, a graduate student studying student development and involvement, said that she felt good that she wrote a letter to a veteran.

“I think it’ll make someone smile because they’ll know that someone is thankful for what they are doing,” Valle said.

Unified We Serve volunteer, Julie Warner, 38, a psychology major, wrote a letter to service men and women overseas at the Veterans Day event at the Plaza Del Sol, USU on Thursday. Photo credit: John Saringo-Rodriguez / Photo Editor

The Veteran’s Day celebration was coordinated by both the USU and Veteran’s Resource Center (VRC). According to Reyes, the VRC approached the USU in doing another event to celebrate the second year since the VRC has been open.

“Last year we celebrated the opening of the VRC with a meet and greet between veterans and students,” Reyes said. “This year we took the angle of having a ceremony and decided to do a national roll call honoring soldiers from California.”

For Julien Pham, a senior studying biology and a US Marine, this was the first time he had seen an event like this since he first arrived at CSUN four years ago.

“This is a great way for students and veterans to connect,” Pham said. “It’s a great way for people to remember what Veteran’s Day really is about. It’s a day to remind ourselves who have gone and sacrificed their lives for us. A day to remember fallen soldiers.”

Pham hopes there will be events like the Veteran’s Day celebration in order to make a connection between veterans and students.